Pharmaceuticals: US, J&J signs opioid deal for 20.4 million dollars
Johnson & Johnson announced it has reached a settlement worth $20.4 million with two 
counties in the US state of Ohio regarding the 'opioid case', the painkillers that have spawned a wave of addictions and overdose deaths overseas. The pharmaceutical division of J&J, Janssen Pharmaceuticals - recalls the 'New York Times' - is therefore the fifth opioid manufacturer to avoid the
process through multi-million dollar settlements.
The company - which makes a fentanyl patch and two tablet versions of another opioid - admitted no errors, but said it agreed because of "uncertainties related to a trial, 
as we continue to make significant progress in addressing the opioid addiction crisis across the nation,” while noting that its products account for less than 1% of total opioid prescriptions in the United States.
The value of the agreement is not as considerable as the one reached by Purdue Pharma, equal to about 12 billion dollars, valid for the closure of dozens of federal and state disputes. The J&J settlement merely settles two federal lawsuits, which were also expected to be held jointly in a trial also set for other companies on Oct. 21. J&J agreed to award $10 million to Cuyahoga and Summit counties, plus $5 million to cover plaintiffs' and attorneys' fees and $5.4 million in charitable contributions to opioid-related nonprofit programs in the same territories
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Related news: Johnson & Johnson Reaches $20.4 Million Settlement in Bellwether Opioids Case
