ALBANY – Three major drug distributors will pay up to $1.2 billion to settle claims they contributed to the ongoing opioid crisis in New York, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday. McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc. and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation all agreed to the major settlement in exchange for being released from an ongoing jury trial against opioid distributors and manufacturers, which is currently underway in Suffolk County and expected to take months to complete. The agreement calls for the three companies to pay a combined $1.2 billion over the next 17 years, with payments beginning in two months, according to the state Attorney General's Office.