The New York
attorney general says Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $230
million to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant helped fuel the
opioid crisis.
The
deal announced on Saturday requires Johnson & Johnson to make a
series of payments over nine years that will cover the total. The
drugmaker also agreed to end the manufacturing and distribution of
opioids across New York and the rest of the nation, Attorney General
Letitia James said in statement.
The
company “helped fuel this fire, but today they’re committing to leaving
the opioid business — not only in New York, but across the entire
country,” James said.
Johnson
& Johnson said in a statement on Saturday that the settlement “is
not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the company.”
It
added that its actions “relating to the marketing and promotion of
important prescription pain medications were appropriate and
responsible.”