Endo strikes 10M Dollars opioid settlement with just two Ohio counties, and Allergan may not be far behind

As the closely-watched opioid litigation in Ohio nears its first trial, Endo has struck a 10 million dollars settlement and Allergan is said to be nearing its own deal. Endo unveiled a 10 million dollars agreement Tuesday that would resolve lawsuits from Ohios Cuyahoga and Summit counties. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports Allergan is negotiating a $5 million deal with the same counties. The two counties' claims were chosen for a bellwether trial in the national opioid litigation consolidated in Cleveland. The settlements would thus cover just a sliver of the many thousands of claims pending in court. Endo's settlement would allow it to bow out of the October trial entirely. Allergan’s deal would not, the Journal reports. It would cover only allegations about Allergan's branded drugs, and the company could face other claims at trial. The two drugmakers and fellow opioid makers face thousands of lawsuits alleging they oversold opioids' benefits for treating chronic pain and downplayed their risks. Distributors also face claims that they didn’t monitor suspicious orders. Together, the conduct helped create a national opioid and addiction crisis, plaintiffs say.