Baltimore Settles $152.5 Million with Cardinal Health Over Opioid Crisis

BALTIMORE—In a significant development in the fight against the opioid epidemic, Baltimore has reached a $152.5 million settlement with Cardinal Health, as announced by Mayor Brandon Scott on Friday. This agreement addresses the city's claims against Cardinal for its involvement in exacerbating the ongoing crisis. This settlement marks the third such agreement for Baltimore this year, following a $45 million settlement with Allergan in June and another $45 million with CVS last week. Collectively, these settlements have brought the city's total recoveries to $242.5 million. The settlement with Cardinal Health is particularly noteworthy as it comes ahead of a trial set to begin on September 16 against five other companies implicated in the opioid crisis, including Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens. Baltimore's decision to pursue individual settlements rather than joining a broader 2021 global settlement has proven financially beneficial. The city would have received less than $70 million over two decades had it opted for the global agreement, but the current settlement with Cardinal alone has yielded more than double that amount, to be delivered within four months. Mayor Scott emphasized the effectiveness of the city's legal strategy, stating that the resources obtained from these settlements will significantly aid ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. Cardinal Health is expected to pay the full settlement amount this year, with funds earmarked exclusively for opioid remediation efforts. Various local treatment centers will receive substantial allocations from the settlement, aimed at enhancing recovery services in the community.