New Hampshire to get $40.5M in opioids case settlement CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Drugmaker Johnson Johnson has agreed to pay $40.5 million in a settlement with New Hampshire over its role in the opioid addiction crisis, days before the case was scheduled for trial, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday. The state filed a lawsuit against Johnson Johnson and a subsidiary in 2018, alleging that they aggressively marketed their opioids to prescribers and patients in New Hampshire and misrepresented that their opioids were safer than other alternatives. The lawsuit also alleged that Johnson Johnson made misleading statements about opioids; misrepresented that its opioids were rarely addictive when used for chronic pain; and targeted vulnerable populations, such as the elderly. “This resolution provides a positive step forward in ensuring these devastating business practices are not repeated, and that resources are allocated to help stem the tide of the opioid crisis,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. Johnson Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., denied the state’s claims, saying it truthfully marketed its prescription opioids, which accounted for a small share of the opioid medications prescribed in New Hampshire, complied with all applicable laws and regulations, did not cause the harm alleged by the state. “This settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing and marks continued progress in resolving opioid-related claims and litigation by states, cities, counties, and other subdivisions in the United States,” Johnson Johnson said in a statement. “The Company will continue to defend against any litigation that the final agreement does not resolve.” New Hampshire was one of a few states that did not join a national settlement with the company in February because its opioid crisis was “particularly severe” and because the state had already devoted “significant litigation resources” in preparation for trial, the attorney general office’s news release said.