New York: A group of pharmaceutical companies and distributors agreed to pay $ 590 million to complete the demands of lawsuits connected with opioid addiction among members of the American tribes, according to the US court released on Tuesday.
This agreement is the latest in the midst of a flood of litigation that emerged by the US opioid crisis, which has claimed more than 500,000 lives over the past 20 years and ensnared some of the largest companies in the world of American medicine.
The McKesson pharmaceutical company, AmerisourCebergen and Health Cardinal has reached a separate agreement with the Cherokee tribe last September for $ 75 million.
According to documents submitted in the Federal Court of Ohio Tuesday by the Plaintiff Committee, the company agreed to pay $ 440 million more than seven years to other American tribes.
Pharmaceutical Group Johnson & Johnson, for its part, agreed to pay $ 150 million more than two years for all tribes, where $ 18 million was destined for Cherokee.
Native Americans have “suffered several worst consequences of the epidemic of opioids from any population in the United States,” including the highest per capita level of opioid overdose compared to other racial groups, according to submissions from the Plaintiff’s Tribal Leadership Committee.
“The burden to pay this increase in costs has transferred rare funds from other needs and has implemented severe financial burdens to tribalist.” Johnson & Johnson, McKesson and two other companies in the Accord – Amerisourcebergen and Cardinal Health – previously approved the global solution of $ 26 billion in opioid cases.
J & J said Tuesday $ 150 million agreed to pay in the original case of America had been deducted from what it debuted in global settlements.
“This completion is not the acceptance of obligations or errors and the company will continue to survive against any litigation that the final agreement does not complete,” said the company.
It is not clear whether other companies will take their portion with the latest agreement of global settlements.
– ‘Size of Justice’ – Robins Kaplan, a law firm that negotiated on behalf of the plaintiff, said the agreement must still be approved by the native of the American tribes.
“The initial settlement for these tribes in national opioid litigation is an important step in providing several measures of justice for tribes and reservation communities throughout the United States which has been pounded zero for the opioid epidemic,” Tara Sutton, a lawyer in strict, Word in a statement.
Douglas Yankton, Chairman of the Lake Spirit based in Northern Dakota, said that the money from settlements would “help fund the culture-appropriate opioid treatment services, reservations, culturally.” Steven Skikos, a lawyer who represented the tribe, told AFP the group pursued claims against other drug makers.
“This hopefully the other two first settlements,” he said.
Every tribe recognized by the US government, 574 as a whole, will be able to participate in the agreement, even if they do not submit lawsuits.
Many lawsuits about the opioid crisis have centered on Purdue Pharma, Oxycontin manufacturers, very addictive prescription painkillers blamed for causing a surge in addiction.
A judge in December canceled the company’s bankruptcy plan because it gave several immunity for the owner of the company in exchange for payments of $ 4.5 billion to the victims of the opioid crisis.
Litigation waves have also flooded the pharmacy owned by Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS, which was found by the jury in November responsibility for the opioid crisis in two districts in Ohio.