2 drug distributors to pay $36M to settle West Virginia painkiller lawsuits

Two of the nation’s largest drug wholesalers have agreed to pay a combined $36 million to settle lawsuits that allege the companies benefited from West Virginia’s problem with prescription drug abuse.

Cardinal Health, the largest supplier of drugs in West Virginia, will pay the state $20 million. AmerisourceBergen, the third-largest drug distributor in the state, agreed to pay $16 million.

It’s believed to be the largest pharmaceutical settlement in state history.

The lawsuits had dragged on for more than four and a half years in Boone County Circuit Court and spanned the terms of two attorneys general.

See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-cops-and-courts/20170109/2-drug-distributors-to-pay-36m-to-settle-wv-painkiller-lawsuits