Ohio Strikes $808 Million Settlement With Opioid Distributors

Ahead of a large suit that’s pending with state and local governments across the U.S., Ohio has reached a settlement with Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson — the three largest opioid distributors — for $808 million, resolving claims that the companies played a role in fueling the opioid epidemic.

Ohio had previously been part of a proposed universal $26 billion settlement deal for state and local governments suing the three distributors and Johnson & Johnson, but an upcoming trial in a case Ohio filed against the distributors gave it leverage to carve out and push a settlement of its own, said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Yost added that the deal Ohio struck is better than the national settlement with the distributors and J&J as the state was able to get the companies to agree to pay the state’s attorney fees on top of the settlement. He added that the fate of the larger universal settlement is unclear.