Oklahoma judge says J&J fueled opioid crisis, orders $572M payment

An Oklahoma judge ruled yesterday that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries fueled the opioid crisis and ordered the company to pay $572 million to address the epidemic. The state of Oklahoma argued that Johnson & Johnson aggressively marketed opioids while also downplaying the drugs’ risks and side effects. The case is the first state-level lawsuit to try and hold pharma companies accountable for the role they may have played in the ongoing opioid crisis. Two other companies settled with the state ahead of when the trial began in May: OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $270 million to the state, while generics company Teva will pay $85 million. Johnson & Johnson is expected to appeal yesterday’s decision.