State Attorney General Letitia James has announced that drug distributors will be paying New York $1.2 billion dollars for their role in the opioid crisis.
Companies that wanted to settle to avoid trial included McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc. and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation.
The agreement states that those three companies will be paying a total combined $1.2 billion over the span of 17 years, with payments beginning in two months.
$1 billion of that settlement will go toward the state’s efforts in ending the opioid crisis. Part of what made that possible was the new law that requires settlement funds for the opioid crisis paid to the state go toward that very purpose.
The state will only get the settlement if all towns, cities and governments drop the charges against the companies.
Though these companies have agreed to settle, they released a statement saying they strongly dispute any wrongdoing regarding the opioid crisis.
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