By Dietrich Knauth

(Reuters) -Walgreens Boots Alliance mentioned on Thursday it has reached a $683 million settlement with Florida to resolve claims that the pharmacy chain exacerbated an opioid epidemic within the state.

The settlement consists of $620 million to be paid to Florida over 18 years, plus $63 million for authorized charges.

It ends a trial that started on April 11, after Walgreens determined to not be a part of a mixed $878 million settlement with 4 different healthcare corporations.

Walgreens didn’t admit to wrongdoing as a part of the settlement.

Florida has recovered greater than $3 billion in opioid litigation in opposition to drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies, in accordance with Moody. It’s going to spend a lot of the cash on efforts to mitigate the opioid disaster within the state.

“I’m glad that we now have been capable of finish this monumental litigation and transfer previous the courtroom,” Florida Lawyer Basic Ashley Moody mentioned on Thursday throughout a press convention.

CVS Well being Corp (NYSE:) beforehand agreed to settle with Florida for $484 million, whereas Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:) Ltd, Abbvie Inc’s Allergan (NYSE:) unit and Endo Worldwide (NASDAQ:) Plc agreed to pay a respective $194.8 million, $134.2 million and $65 million. All denied wrongdoing.

The nationwide opioid disaster has led to greater than 500,000 overdose deaths within the final 20 years, in accordance with the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

Greater than 3,300 lawsuits have been filed in opposition to drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies over the disaster, together with claims they performed down the dangers of habit and overdoses, and have been lax is monitoring the place capsules ended up.