J&J to pay $20.4 million to settle opioid lawsuits with two Ohio counties

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© Reuters. The company logo for Johnson & Johnson is displayed on a screen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company's listing at the NYSE in New York© Reuters. The company logo for Johnson & Johnson is displayed on a screen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company’s listing at the NYSE in New York

(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:) said on Tuesday it will pay $20.4 million to settle claims by two Ohio counties in a lawsuit that accused the drugmaker of contributing to an U.S. opioid addiction epidemic.

The company said in a statement the settlement removes it from a federal trial against multiple manufacturers and distributors scheduled to begin on Oct. 21..

J&J will pay $10 million to Cuyahoga and Summit counties, reimburse $5 million of their legal and other expenses and provide $5.4 million to non-profit organizations that run opioid-related programs in the counties.

On Monday, Mallinckrodt (NYSE:) Plc finalized a $24 million settlement agreement with the same two counties.

Endo International Plc and Allergan (NYSE:) Plc also settled with the two counties in August to avoid going to trial.

Remaining defendants in the Oct. 21 trial include McKesson Corp (NYSE:), AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:), Cardinal Health (NYSE:), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:) Ltd , Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:) Inc and Henry Schein Inc (NASDAQ:).

Earlier in the year, an Oklahoma judge ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572.1 million to the state for its part in fueling an opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing addictive painkillers.

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