Johnson & Johnson, Drug Distributors Pay $ 26 Billion For Roles In Cri Opioid Crisis

Big drug companies and drug dealers are largely responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic in the United States, which killed more people than most major wars – which is why they were delivered one of the largest class action lawsuit packages in history.

Three of the largest pharmaceutical wholesalers and Johnson & Johnson reached a $ 26 billion deal to settle a chorus of around 3,000 lawsuits from state governments, city governments, and even tribal organizations accusing the companies of fueling the opioid crisis.

Why? Because the number of synthetic opioid deaths has far exceeded the total death toll from heroin, methamphetamine, and other street drugs from overdose, according to several federal government agencies – and frankly, people are fed up with it.

Drug manufacturers and distributors have been accused of downplaying the risk of opioid addiction while offering perks to encourage doctors to, in some cases, prescribe too many pills to people who didn’t need them.

Drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson joined Johnson & Johnson to pay a total of $ 26 billion to settle allegations that they fueled the country’s opioid crisis and should be held accountable.

The $ 26 billion deal announced by a group of attorneys general varies by company and will pay off over time: Johnson & Johnson pays $ 5 billion over nine years; AmerisourceBergen Pays $ 6.4 Billion Over 18 Years; Cardinal Health pays $ 6.4 billion over 18 years and McKesson eventually pays $ 7.9 billion over 18 years. Axios reports that each of the three drug distributors has already set aside funds pending an agreement.

Heads of state are thrilled to hold companies accountable for their role in the crisis, which is clearly out of control. While there are people in severe pain who have a real need for strong opioids, abuse is rampant.

In a July 21 press release, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein showed the corporations not the slightest sympathy for the pharmaceutical companies in his announcement: “The opioid epidemic has torn families apart and killed thousands of North Carolinians. Said Stein. “Families across our state have shared their heartbreaking stories with loved ones who are struggling with the terrible disease of addiction, or who have overdosed and died. It has been a real honor on your behalf to conduct these negotiations to hold accountable the companies that helped create and fuel this crisis. “

🚨🚨BREAKING🚨🚨: After more than 3 years of investigation, litigation and negotiation, I am proud to present a historical national settlement of 26 billion 1/4

– Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) July 21, 2021

The case has gained momentum in recent years. Things came to a head in 2019 when dozens of lawsuits were received from multiple states. Oklahoma state lawyers accused the health company of playing a central role in the opioid epidemic in the United States after getting tired of watching people become addicted to opioids. “You didn’t come here from a Mexican cartel. You came here from the drug cartel, and the leading man among them all is Johnson & Johnson, ”said Brad Beckworth, Oklahoma attorney.

Opioid and drug crisis killed more Americans than World War II

Since 1999, around 841,000 people have overdosed on drugs – 70 percent of them were opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and opioid overdoses have increased six-fold over the same period. That dwarfs the total number of US casualties in World War II.

Almost 50,000 people died in 2019 – 73 percent of them were synthetic opioids. But that’s not all: According to preliminary data released by the CDC on July 21, drug overdoses in the US rose nearly 30 percent in 2020, hitting a record high of 93,331 – nearly 100,000.

For more information, the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collects information on drug overdose deaths involving many of the most commonly used drugs in a searchable database called CDC Wonder.