BALTIMORE — Mayor Brandon Scott announced Thursday that Baltimore City has agreed to a reduced settlement in its ongoing litigation against opioid distributors McKesson and Cencora, previously known as AmerisourceBergen. This decision follows a jury’s initial award of $266 million last fall, which a judge deemed excessive and subsequently cut down.
With the acceptance of this revised settlement amount, Baltimore now adds $152.3 million to its efforts to hold pharmaceutical giants accountable for their role in the opioid crisis that has severely impacted the city. “From the beginning, this case has always been about securing justice for Baltimoreans who have been disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis,” Scott stated. He emphasized that today’s decision affirms the liability of these corporations and upholds a promise made to residents.
In September 2024, Baltimore took legal action against multiple pharmaceutical companies, alleging that they engaged in fraudulent and reckless marketing of opioids that exacerbated the epidemic in the city. Throughout the legal proceedings, many cases were settled prior to reaching trial, resulting in Baltimore securing over $400 million from the opioid distributors.
With the recent settlement announcement, the total amount awarded to the city now exceeds $579.8 million from various opioid manufacturers and distributors. Following the reduced jury award, a deadline of August 8 was initially set for the city to either accept the settlement or pursue a trial, but this was later extended.
While acknowledging that the settlement amount is lower than what the jury initially awarded, Mayor Scott expressed its significance for Baltimore, noting it represents the city’s only successful judgments against either McKesson or Cencora. He stated, “Generations of Baltimoreans have lost loved ones to substance use as a direct result of the opioids that Big Pharma pushed on our neighborhoods. While no amount of money can ever undo that harm, this award will help us expand our recovery programs, prevent future overdose deaths, and finally break the cycle of substance abuse in Baltimore.”
Mayor Scott also extended gratitude to the court and the six jurors whose careful deliberation over several weeks led to this historic judgment, despite some disagreements with aspects of the ruling. The settlement provides a meaningful step toward addressing the widespread devastation caused by the opioid crisis in Baltimore.
This settlement serves not only as financial compensation but also as part of a broader effort to enhance recovery resources and support systems in a city grappling with the long-term effects of the epidemic. The funds are expected to play a crucial role in the city’s ongoing initiatives to combat substance abuse and promote healing among affected individuals and families.
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