SEATTLE, Wash. — Johnson & Johnson, an opioid manufacturer and raw material supplier, has agreed to pay $149.5 million to Washington state to settle a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
The resolution, filed in King County Superior Court, aims to address the company’s role in fueling the opioid epidemic. Under the terms of the settlement, Johnson & Johnson will make a lump-sum payment this fiscal year of $123.3 million.
This money is earmarked to combat the opioid epidemic, with 50% directed to local governments across the state. This resolution provides tens of millions more to address the fentanyl crisis compared to a settlement rejected in 2021.
Washington, one of three states receiving more than the 2021 multistate settlement, has now received over $1.2 billion to tackle the fentanyl and opioid crisis.
Attorney General Ferguson has rejected settlements with five corporations, securing nearly $200 million more for improved treatment options, first responder funding and other strategies.
Johnson & Johnson’s payment, required within 21 days of ratification by local governments (expected by May), adds to the state’s resources to combat the fentanyl crisis. Pending litigation against national pharmacy chains further addresses those who contributed to the epidemic.
The resolution highlights Johnson & Johnson’s unique role in opioid proliferation, emphasizing its cultivation and processing of opium poppy plants. The company’s aggressive marketing tactics overstated drug effectiveness and downplayed addiction risks.
Ferguson’s efforts have uncovered the extent of corporate involvement in fueling the crisis.
Local governments must sign on to receive their share, and the full amount will be distributed based on an agreed formula. The Legislature will decide the state’s allocation, building on past support for prevention, treatment, recovery services, tribal programs, naloxone distribution and short-term housing vouchers.
Ferguson stated, “We are standing up to some of the largest corporations in the world that fueled the epidemic in pursuit of profit, and we are winning critical resources that must be used to address the harm. We have now recovered more than $1.2 billion to improve treatment options, support first responders, and invest in other proven strategies to combat this crisis — and we’re not done.”
