Texas Moves - Texas reaches $290 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson in nationwide opioid case

“We’re not done going after these other companies,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. Overdose deaths related to opioids increased by 30% nationally in 2020.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a $290 million settlement agreement Tuesday with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson over what the state claims were deceptive marketing tactics that contributed to the ongoing opioid crisis.

In July, he announced Texas had joined a $26 billion multistate opioid settlement with McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen, as well as Johnson & Johnson. Paxton said Tuesday that the state expects to receive $1.2 billion from the three other companies, bringing the state’s total to $1.5 billion.