Oklahoma judge reduces Johnson & Johnson payout in opioid case to $465 million

(Reuters) - An Oklahoma judge on Friday said Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) only needs to pay $465 million of the $572 million he previously concluded it owed the state for fueling the opioid epidemic through deceptive painkiller marketing.

The ruling by Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman in Norman, Oklahoma, came in the first case to go to trial out of 2,700 nationally by states, counties and cities seeking to hold drug companies responsible for the deadly epidemic.