The settlement concerns the companies Amerisource Mountain Corp, Cardinal Health Inc, McKesson Group and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.
The settlement came just before a lawsuit in the state of Ohio would begin on Monday, a lawsuit in which the two municipalities of Cuyahoga and Summit wanted to hold the companies accountable for contributing to the crisis.
The trial was considered to be indicative of the many lawsuits - about 2,600, according to Reuters - related to the opioid crisis. About 400,000 deaths due to opioid overdoses between 1997 and 2017 have been reported by US authorities.
The pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance was also accused of contributing to the spread of the opioid epidemic. However, the chain is not included in the settlement. A new trial date must be set for that trial.