Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has agreed to pay $44 million to New Mexico state to resolve several cases against it of fueling the opioid crisis.
The $44 million settlement is consistent with the terms of a proposal where J&J and other drug distributors, Cardinal Health Inc, AmerisourceBergen Corp and McKesson Corp are required to pay $26 billion as a nationwide settlement in the opioid-related cases against the companies.
Earlier, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas stated that New Mexico would not be a part of the opioid crisis settlement deals, but last month he informed that the state would participate in the $21 billion deal of the distributors whereas, it would not join the $5 billion deal with J&J.
As per the agreement, J&J has agreed to pay the complete settlement amount in 2022 rather than paying it over several years.
The AG added that opioids have destroyed families and communities in New Mexico, and the settlement will provide adequate funding to deal with the opioid epidemic by conducting awareness programmes and relevant measures to prevent further crisis.
J&J is accused of using deceptive marketing techniques to make profits and increase the sale of opioids, but the company has denied all the allegations by stating that it did not manipulate the rules and regulations to boost the drug sale.
Currently, J&J, along with the drug distributors, face more than 3,300 lawsuits in the federal courts across the nation over opioid abuse crisis that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths.
