- New York AG Letitia James reached a settlement with Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) to resolve allegations that J&J’s activities relating to its manufacture and distribution of opioids caused public nuisance, amounted to common-law fraud, and violated the New York Controlled Substance Act and New York’s consumer protection and finance laws.
- The complaint alleged that J&J, along with other manufacturers and distributors of opioids, were responsible for the opioid epidemic by knowingly misrepresenting the addictiveness of opioids and opioid products while aggressively promoting and deceptively marketing these medications to increase prescriptions and expand the market.
- Under the terms of the settlement, J&J will pay up to approximately $230 million over nine years, with the amount depending on how many of the state’s political subdivisions accept and participate in the settlement and whether a bill creating an opioid settlement fund, earmarked for opioid-addiction prevention, treatment, and education, will be signed into law. J&J will also, under the terms of the settlement, cease opioid manufacturing and distribution as well as the marketing and promotion of opioids, and J&J will provide information about opioids to the public, including sharing clinical trial data through an open-access portal, among other things.