Johnson & Johnson confirmed it has ended its distribution of opioids in the U.S. when it agreed to a $230 million settlement with New York over its role in the opioid epidemic.
The settlement, reached June 26, prohibits the company from promoting opioids through any means and bans lobbying about opioid products at the federal, state and local levels.
The last time Johnson & Johnson marketed opioids in the U.S. was 2015, and the drugmaker said it discontinued its opioid business in 2020.
To resolve claims that it fueled the opioid epidemic, Johnson & Johnson will pay New York $230 million over nine years. It will also pay an additional $30 million in the first year New York's executive chamber signs into law new legislation to create an opioid settlement fund.