This post was originally published on this site
O’Connor said Oklahoma recovered more money from the distributors than the state would have received if it had joined a nationwide $26 billion settlement that was announced last year.
The national settlement also includes Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). Oklahoma sued J&J separately but in November the case was thrown out on appeal, negating a $465 million trial judgment the state won and undermining Oklahoma’s legal theories in its opioid litigation.
The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Oklahoma was the last state still pursuing litigation related to opioids against the three distributors. Alabama is still suing Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen after settling with McKesson. Local governments in West Virginia are pursuing cases after the state settled.
Oklahoma will use at least 85% of the funds to help abate the opioid addiction crisis in the state, according to O’Connor.
The distributors have denied wrongdoing in the epidemic, which has caused more than 500,000 U.S. overdose deaths during the past two decades, according to government data.
