Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Wednesday that Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $149.5 million to settle the state's lawsuit, which alleged the company participated in "fueling the opioid epidemic." Under the settlement, $123.3 million of the total sum will be used to combat the opioid crisis.
"Today's resolution, filed in King County Superior Court, provides Washington and its local governments with tens of millions of dollars more to combat the fentanyl epidemic compared to the settlement that Ferguson rejected in 2021. Washington is one of three states receiving more than they would have under the 2021 multistate settlement," Ferguson's office said in a press release and noted the money will be paid in "one lump sum" this fiscal year.
On Tuesday, J&J said it reached a deal to pay around $700 million to resolve an investigation into the company's marketing of the talcum-based baby powder in the United States.
