Letitia James
© AP/Getty ImagesNew York State Attorney General Letitia James
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a $230 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson Saturday morning, resolving claims regarding the company's "role in helping to fuel the opioid epidemic," according to a press release. James said in a statement:
"The opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on countless communities across New York state and the rest of the nation, leaving millions still addicted to dangerous and deadly opioids. Johnson & Johnson helped fuel this fire, but today they're committing to leaving the opioid business — not only in New York, but across the entire country."
The money, to be paid to the state over nine years, will be spent "to prevent any future devastation" from opioids. Her office noted it was the largest monetary settlement secured under her attorney generalship.

James further said that if Gov. Cuomo signs pending legislation to create an opioid settlement fund, which has been approved by the state Legislature, J&J's payment schedule would accelerate, with more than half due by February 2022.

Justin Sangeorge
© APJustin Sangeorge, social worker, recovering opioid addict, speaks at a news conference on March 28, 2019, about a NY state lawsuit against opioid drug manufacturers and distributors.
The governor's office didn't immediately return a request for comment on the opioid-fund bill. According to the press release:
"Today's agreement also makes enforceable a bar stopping J&J and all of its subsidiaries, predecessors, and successors from manufacturing or selling opioids anywhere in New York, and acknowledges Johnson & Johnson's exit from the opioid business nationally." The agreement also bars J&J "from disciplining its sales and marketing employees for not hitting opioids sales quotas — one of the key motivators J&J and other companies had in marketing opioids so heavily to the American public and it prohibits the company from any opioid-related lobbying."
The settlement will also resolve suits against J&J by Nassau and Suffolk counties, if approved by the county legislatures.

Alongside J&J, the attorney general's office in March 2019 sued opioid manufacturers and distributors Mallinckrodt, Endo, Teva and Purdue Pharma.

Purdue, after filing for bankruptcy, reached a $4.5 billion settlement, which is currently being voted on by claimants. It's set to be confirmed by the court Aug. 9

The attorney general's office sued numerous opioid manufacturers and distributors in 2019; the trial against several of them is scheduled to begin next week.

J&J said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing in a Saturday-morning statement. The company also noted that the settlement was in line with a previously announced "all-in" settlement between opioid makers and sellers and state attorneys general, under which J&J would pay $5 billion. The drugmaker said Saturday:
"The dollar amount to be received by [New York] is the pro-rated share it would have received under the broader agreement in principle, which will be deducted from the all-in settlement amount."