Rhode Island Reverses Course, Accepts Opioid Lawsuit Settlement

After initially holding out, Rhode Island has reached a settlement of more than $114 million with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, which will pay the state $21.1 million, and with drug wholesalers AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, which will fork over $90.8 million.

The settlement resolves lawsuits alleging that the companies fueled the opioid crisis that claimed the lives of more than 500,000 people in the U.S. between 1999 and 2019. Most of the money will go directly to fighting the crisis and helping people with addiction, said state Attorney General Peter Neronha Tuesday.

Rhode Island’s settlement with the distributors was negotiated separately from a $21 billion global settlement being proposed for other states. Rhode Island also joined a nationwide $5 billion settlement with Johnson & Johnson.