States are asking for about $ 26.4 billion from major players in pharmaceutical industry to help pay for damages caused by the opioid crisis, people familiar with the matter said, the latest question in years of litigation that companies are trying to responsible for widespread drug addiction.
The current talks involve McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health Inc., which collectively distributes the majority of pharmaceutical drugs in the country, such as Johnson & Johnson, which makes some opioid painkillers, the people said.
More than 3,000 states, local governments and tribes of Indian India have set companies up and down the pharmaceutical supply chain, blaming them for contributing to an influx of opioids into their communities.
The distributors in particular came under control because they apparently did not flag suspicious commands that were exaggerated for misuse. The companies have denied the allegations in the lawsuits, although some have reached settlements with the Department of Justice in recent decades over errors in order-to-order programs.
One case has gone to trial so far, resulting in a $ 465 million conviction against Johnson & Johnson in Oklahoma. Others have resulted in smaller settlements, but the majority of cases have not been resolved. The lawsuit drove one company, OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, into bankruptcy, and shareholders have been looking for the remaining suspects to reach deals to cover their liability.
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