US drug companies say $26bn opioid settlement will proceed

Companies say ‘enough’ US states joined a settlement resolving claims they fuelled the opioid epidemic, allowing it to move ahead.

Three large US drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson will proceed with a proposed $26bn settlement resolving claims that they fuelled the opioid epidemic after “enough” states joined in, the companies said on Saturday. The companies had until Saturday to decide whether enough states back the $21bn proposed settlement with McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health Inc and a $5bn agreement with J&J. The distributors said 42 states, five territories and Washington, DC, signed on to their agreement. The exact tally for J&J’s related deal was not immediately clear.