Four states agreed Oct. 21 on a framework for a $48 billion settlement with five drug companies over their alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis, according to The Hill.
The settlement involves Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Johnson & Johnson and Teva. Attorneys general from North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Texas agreed to the settlement, which includes $22 billion in cash and $26 billion worth of generic opioid addiction treatment, product distribution and data tracking measures.
Each state and its local governments would get a share of the $22 billion to provide addiction treatment, paramedic services and telehealth treatment, according to The Hill.
McKesson would pay the most out of all the companies, at $6.68 billion over 18 years. Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen would each pay about $5.6 billion over 18 years and J&J would pay $4 billion over two to three years. Teva would pay $250 million over 10 years and supply $23 billion of its generic suboxone drug over 10 years.
The framework settlement is an agreement in principle and has not yet been finalized.
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