Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson will pay Washington state $149.5 million to settle a lawsuit over the manufacturer's role in the opioid epidemic across the state.
The settlement comes after Attorney General Bob Ferguson rejected an initial settlement in 2021 that would have been tens of millions of dollars less, according to a Jan. 24 news release. The decision makes Washington one of three states receiving more funds than they would have under the 2021 multistate settlement.
The amount will be paid in one lump sum this fiscal year, $123.3 million of which is required to be dedicated to addressing the opioid epidemic and the fentanyl crisis across Washington communities. For comparison, the initial settlement would have only provided $98.9 million over nine years.