opioid lawsuits News

OxyContin Marketed in China as Being Less Addictive — A Familiar Misleading Claim

Thousands of lawsuits across the United States have accused a drug company owned by the billionaire Sackler family of using false claims to push highly addictive opioids on an unsuspecting nation, fueling the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history. Yet, …

Update on Opioid Lawsuits Against Drugmakers, Distributors

On Monday, two Ohio counties reached a last-minute settlement with four companies they accused of fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic. The counties were seeking billions of dollars to cover the cost of addiction treatment programs, healthcare and other services. Opioids …

J&J’s Legal Beating May Only Get Worse with Baby Powder, Opioid, Hip and Other Claims

Johnson & Johnson has taken some costly beatings in court this year. And it could get worse. Just last week, a jury ordered J&J to pay $8 billion for wrongfully pushing doctors to prescribe the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal. While the …

States Suing Purdue Pharma Claim Sacklers Drew $13 Billion Profit from OxyContin

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP steered up to $13 billion in profits to the company’s controlling Sackler family, according to U.S. states opposing efforts to halt lawsuits alleging the company and its owners helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic. The …

Fellow Drugmakers Eye Purdue’s Bankruptcy As Way to Settle Opioid Claims: WSJ

Endo International Plc, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers that face litigation over the opioid crisis are exploring a way to settle the cases by participating in Purdue Pharma LP’s bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing internal documents and …

Drug Firms Must Face Trial Over Opioids, Judge Orders

A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected efforts by major drugmakers, pharmacies and distributors to dismiss claims that they caused the nation’s opioid crisis, clearing the way for a scheduled landmark trial even as he pushes for a nationwide settlement. U.S. …

U.S. Criminally Charges Ohio Opioid Distributor with Profiting from Epidemic

An Ohio drug wholesale distributor and two former executives on Thursday were charged with profiting from the U.S. opioid epidemic by selling millions of pills despite signs the addictive drugs were being misused. Federal prosecutors in Cincinnati charged Miami-Luken Inc. …

Billions at Stake from Opioid Suits but Damages Unlikely to Top $200B Tobacco Windfall

An Oklahoma case, the first of more than 1,600 lawsuits filed by U.S. state and local governments against opioid makers to go to trial, could serve as a key benchmark for governments hoping to recoup costs associated with the public …

More States Could Settle Opioid Suits in Wake of West Virginia’s McKesson Deal

McKesson Corp.’s settlement of an opioid lawsuit with West Virginia — the state with the highest U.S. rate of drug-overdose deaths — may encourage other states to seek quick cash to cope with the rising societal costs of addiction. West …

Doctor, Early Advocate for Opioids, to Testify Against Drug Makers: Reuters

A physician ally of Purdue Pharma LP whose views helped drive the explosive growth in the use of addictive pain relievers for common aches and pains in the United States has agreed to testify against the OxyContin maker and other …