Pharma firms to pay city $1B in opioid suit

ALBANY — A trio of major pharmaceutical distributors has agreed to pay New York $1.1 billion as part of a legal effort to hold drug companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic, Attorney General Letitia James’ office announced Tuesday.

The deal reached with McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. is the largest negotiated by James’ office so far with companies accused of fueling opioid addiction nationwide.

“For more than two decades, the opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on countless communities throughout New York and across the rest of the nation, killing hundreds of thousands of our friends and family members and addicting millions more,” James said in a statement. “While no amount of money will ever compensate for the millions of addictions, the hundreds of thousands of deaths, or the countless communities decimated by opioids, this money will be vital in preventing any future devastation.”

James filed a sweeping lawsuit in 2019 against drugmakers and distributors, seeking accountability for the opioid epidemic and overdoses. Several of the companies have agreed to settle but not admit fault for their role in the crisis.

New York has already negotiated settlements with Johnson & Johnson and Purdue Pharma as part of the same lawsuit, which is the subject of an ongoing trial in Suffolk County.

Johnson & Johnson’s settlement netted $230 million for the state’s opioid prevention and treatment efforts, and the company agreed to end the sale of opioids nationwide.

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, reached a $4.5 billion multistate deal earlier this month that will mean at least another $200 million for New York.

James said the money from the deal with the three distributors, to be paid in 18 annual installments, will also go to opioid addiction treatment and prevention, as well as recovery services.