MCKINNEY, Texas — Editor's note: The video above is a KVUE report about Paxton securing an opioid settlement from Johnson & Johnson.
On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he secured $1.167 billion for Texas out of the $26 billion opioid agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
To date, Paxton has secured over $1.89 billion for Texas from the makers and distributors of opioids, his office said in a press release. Paxton's office said the companies were sued for their role in creating and fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic.
“Texans have been devastated by the opioid crisis and it is important that this settlement is proportioned fairly among the communities that need it most,” Paxton said. “Pharmaceutical companies that have been at the root of the problem must be involved in not only changing their business practices to keep this tragic epidemic from taking more lives in the future, but also by providing treatment for those currently still struggling with opioid addiction.”
This is the fifth statewide opioid settlement that Attorney General Paxton has finalized for Texas. The other four settlements came from Teva, Endo, Johnson & Johnson and McKinsey.
“Every community across the nation has been touched by the opioid crisis. We’ve lost more than a million Americans to this epidemic and, sadly, it’s at an all-time high as overdose deaths continue to rise in the face of the pandemic and its resulting anxiety, stress and dislocation," Paxton added. "We’re encouraged by this support of local governments and committed to doing everything in our power to get the full share of funds for the people of our states so we can help people get treatment and recovery resources as quickly as possible.”
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: