Pennsylvania and three other states have reached an $8 billion deal with five companies over their roles in fueling the deadly opioid epidemic, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced this week. An agreement in principle was reached with Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Johnson & Johnson and Teva that will provide $22.25 billion in cash and another $26 billion for medication-assisted treatment drug provision and distribution over 10 years. The deal also includes North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The $26 billion in generic suboxone product, product distribution, and data-tracking measures will be distributed to the four states over a 10-year period. The states chose the settlements as a way to get the resources necessary to combat the opioid crisis rather than endure the delays of a lengthy court process and post-trial settlements. Still pending is a lawsuit filed last month by Shapiro against the Sackler Family, whose Purdue Pharma has been sued by states and local governments across the country for the role of OxyContin in the opioid epidemic.