Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $572m for 'helping fuel opioid crisis'

The ruling could affect thousands of lawsuits filed by state and local governments against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson must pay $572m (£469m) for helping fuel the opioid crisis in a US state, a judge has ruled.

The case brought by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter was the first to go to trial out of thousands of lawsuits filed by state and local governments against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

It was alleged Johnson & Johnson's marketing practices helped fuel the opioid epidemic by flooding the market with painkillers.

More than 400,000 Americans are estimated to have died during the last two decades due to their addiction to opioids.

Announcing his verdict, Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman said: "The opioid crisis has ravaged the state of Oklahoma.
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