Nevada, Georgia Join $26 Billion Multistate Opioid Settlement Being Paid By J&J, Top Distributors

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Opioid Crisis Settlement Overview: 

• Who: Nevada and Georgia signed on to a $26 billion settlement being paid out by Johnson & Johnson and the nation’s three largest opioid distributors. 
• Why: Opioid distributors, along with J&J, have been accused of exacerbating the nationwide opioid epidemic.
• Where: The opioid settlement is open for states to sign on nationwide.

Nevada and Georgia have joined a $26 billion opioid settlement being paid out by Johnson & Johnson and the nation’s three largest opioid distributors, coming away with almost $300 million and $636 million in funds, respectively. 

Funds allocated to the states in the multistate agreement are meant to be used toward fighting the opioid epidemic, which opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson have been accused of exacerbating, Law360 reports.

The haul for Nevada includes a $53.5 million agreement with J&J and a grant worth $5.75 million from the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Georgia will also receive a grant from the DOJ. The state had been the most populated to not originally sign onto the agreement, Law360 reports. 

“We are confident that joining the settlement at this time will prove beneficial to our state, our citizens and our communities as we continue our fight to end this epidemic and address the widespread damage it has caused,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said in a statement. 

Nevada, meanwhile, ultimately decided to opt in because the funds are needed in the immediacy to help with comprehensive remediation going on in the state, according to Attorney General Aaron D. Ford.

“The funds that our state will receive going forward will help us save lives and mitigate the harms done to our residents because of the ongoing opioid epidemic,” Ford said in a statement. “While no settlement will bring back those lost to opioids, these funds will be used to prevent further loss of life and help heal Nevada’s families.” 

Distributors Set To Pay $21 Billion Over Next 18 Years, J&J To Contribute $5 Billion 

The settlement, which will end the majority of complaints lodged, has distributors set to pay $21 billion of the funds over the next 18 years with Johnson & Johnson contributing around $5 billion. 

Nevada and Georgia had both previously declined to participate in the widespread multistate settlement before ultimately deciding to opt in. The deadline to participate has since been extended until Jan. 26, Law360 reports. 

Not involved in the settlement, but facing challenges of its own is Purdue Pharma, which had its bankruptcy confirmation order overturned by a New York federal judge in December, reports The New York Times. 

Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan had previously been approved in September of last year. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 as it and its billionaire owners, the Sackler family, faced roughly 3,000 lawsuits pertaining to its role in helping fuel the opioid crisis.

The bankruptcy plan had protected the company and the Sackler family from class action complaints pointing to its manufacturing of OxyContin. 

Were you or a loved one affected by the nationwide opioid epidemic allegedly exacerbated by the country’s largest opioid distributors? Let us know in the comments! 

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