CLEVELAND — After a long day of negotiations on Friday between major drug industry corporations and thousands of local governments and states suing over the companies’ role in the opioid epidemic, talks ended with the parties — even among the plaintiffs — still far apart.

“We worked hard to put together a $48 billion deal that would give immediate relief to our states and we’re deeply disappointed that the cities and counties refuse to go along with that deal,” said Josh Stein , the attorney general for North Carolina.

And Herbert H. Slatery , the attorney general for Tennessee, said that in his state, four people had died that day. “When we delay things it has real consequences in the lives of people,” he said.

The day began with the chief executives of three major drug distributors among those summoned to the fe deral courthouse in Cleveland by Judge Dan A. Polster, who was attempting to wrest a last-minute, comprehensive settlement to resolve thousands of cases filed by cities and counties as well as those filed by state attorneys general in state court.