Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Hamburg Township is opting-in to another opioid case settlement with a pharmaceutical company determined to have helped fuel the opioid epidemic.

The board met Tuesday night and adopted a resolution accepting an opioid litigation settlement with McKinsey and Company.

The township previously opted into and has begun receiving funds from national opioid litigation settlements reached against large pharmaceutical distributors. All of the settlements relate to the role of the companies in the manufacture, distribution, sale and marketing of opioids.

They include McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen; one manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and its parent company Johnson & Johnson; as well as from settlements from national pharmacies, CVS, Walmart and Walgreens; and against two pharmaceutical companies, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and AbbVie/Allergan.

It was reported during the meeting by Treasurer Jason Negri that the Township was recently notified that it is eligible to receive funds from an additional lawsuit settlement reached with McKinsey & Company - a consulting firm - which is alleged to have created misleading advertising campaigns for opioids. The new settlement is separate from the previous national opioid settlements.

In order to receive the settlement funds, the board adopted the resolution that accepts the terms and funds - which are the same as the others and have been reviewed by counsel.

Supervisor Pat Hohl stated that they will be coming forward to the board with a process to disperse the funds. It was noted that there are a lot of other municipalities that have opted in to the settlements.

The state of Michigan is slated to receive nearly $800 million from the opioid settlements over the next 18 years. 50% of the settlement amount will be distributed directly to county, city, and township governments. The remaining 50% will be distributed to the state government's specially designated fund, The Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund.

A copy of the resolution is attached.