Native American tribes reach $590 million opioid settlement

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press

Native American tribes have reached opioid settlements worth over a half-billion dollars with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three distributors. A federal court filing Tuesday in Cleveland describes $590 million in settlements with the New Jersey-based drugmaker along with distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. Some tribes have been hit particularly hard by an overdose and addiction crisis that has been linked to more than 500,000 U.S. deaths. The leader of one tribe says the money will help its efforts to build a healing center. Johnson & Johnson says the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. AmerisourceBergen says the deal will expedite help for communities.