Missouri finalizes $458M deal in opioid epidemic lawsuit

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri will get $458 million to help victims of the opioid epidemic as part settlement with the three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson. Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced the final settlement Friday. Schmitt says it’s the biggest “victim-centric” settlement ever in Missouri. The money represents Missouri’s share of a broader $26 billion deal between opioid makers and distributers and other state and local governments across the U.S. Schmitt says he expects the money will be spent on more beds at in-patient addiction treatment centers and emergency medicine used to counteract opioid overdoses.