Johnson & Johnson has agreed to a $20.4 million settlement to avoid going to trial over the opioid-addiction crisis in two Ohio counties.
J&J is the fourth drugmaker to reach a deal ahead of a trial in Cuyahoga and Summit counties. Earlier this week, Mallinckrodt also struck a $30 million deal with the two counties. Endo International previously agreed to pay the counties $10 million, while Allergan agreed to pay $5 million to avoid trial.
J&J's deal includes no admission of liability. According to the drugmaker, the settlement allows it to "avoid the resource demands and uncertainty of a trial as it continues to seek meaningful progress in addressing the nation’s opioid crisis.”
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