J&J to stop selling opioids for 10 years and will pay $5 billion as part of settlement

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Shares of Johnson & Johnson JNJ, +0.50% were up 0.3% in trading on Wednesday after a dozen or so state attorneys general announced an opioid settlement that requires J&J to pay $5 billion over nine years, including $3.7 billion in payments over the first three years. The company is also required to stop selling opioids for 10 years, and it cannot fund or provide grants to organizations that promote opioids or lobby on opioids during that time period. The agreement resolves around 4,000 opioid-related lawsuits in both federal and state courts. As part of the deal, which has been in the works for several years, AmerisourceBergen Corp. ABC, +0.78%, Cardinal Health Inc. CAH, +0.94%, and McKesson Corp. MCK, +1.26% will pay $21 billion. J&J's stock is up 7.4% so far this year, while the broader S&P 500 SPX, +0.70% has gained 15.2%.

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NeuroMetrix stock more than triples on massive volume after fibromyalgia treatment gets FDA boost

Shares of NeuroMetrix Inc. undefined rocketed 241% toward a two-year high on record volume, after the Massachusetts-based medical device company said its Quell transcutaneous electric nerve stimulator received "Breakthrough Designation" from the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia symptoms in adults. Trading volume ballooned to 228.3 million shares, compared with the full-day average over the past 30 days of about 125,600 shares, to make the stock the biggest gainer and most actively traded on major U.S. exchanges. Fibromyalgia is a form of chronic pain that affects 5 million to 15 million people, or 2% to 6% of the U.S. population, and is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Quell is a non-invasive wearable neurostimulator that provides flexible and precise nerve stimulation. Under the Breakthrough Designation program, the FDA will provide the company with priority review and interactive communication on device development through commercialization. In addition, there are government programs which may facilitate Medicare reimbursement. The stock has now rallied 251.9% year to date, while the SPDR Health Care Select Sector ETF undefined has gained 13.5% and the S&P 500 undefined has advanced 15.3%.

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