J&J and distributors to pay $26bn to settle claims they fuelled US opioid crisis

Settlements represent largest of opioid-related cases in epidemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans over two decades

Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors finalized nationwide settlements over their role in the opioid addiction crisis Friday, an announcement that clears the way for $26bn to flow to nearly every state and local government in the US.

Taken together, the settlements are the largest to date among the many opioid-related cases that have been playing out across the country. They're expected to provide a significant boost to efforts aimed at reversing the crisis in places that have been devastated by it, including many parts of rural America.