Washington state reaches $149.5 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson over opioid crisis

The Washington state attorney general has announced a $149.5 million settlement agreement with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, more than four years after the state sued the company over its role in the opioid addiction crisis

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state attorney general announced a $149.5 million settlement Wednesday with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, more than four years after the state sued the company over its role fueling the opioid addiction crisis.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s announcement came as opioid overdose deaths have risen across the state, with 2,048 in 2022 — more than twice as many deaths as there were in 2019, according to the most recent numbers from the Washington State Department of Health.

Under the deal, the state and local governments would have to spend $123.3 million to address the opioid crisis, including on substance abuse treatment, expanded access to overdose-reversal drugs and services that support pregnant women on substances. The rest of the money would go toward litigation costs.

The settlement agreement still requires approval from a judge. If approved, the deal would send over $20 million more to respond to the opioid crisis than if the state had signed onto a national settlement in 2021 involving Johnson & Johnson, the attorney general’s office said.

Since the 2000s, drugmakers, wholesalers, pharmacy chains and consultants have agreed to pay more than $50 billion to state and local governments to settle claims that they played a part in creating the opioid crisis.