Washington seeks over $38 billion from opioid distributors
3 years, 1 month ago

Washington seeks over $38 billion from opioid distributors

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — After rejecting a half-billion-dollar settlement, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday took the state’s case against the nation’s three biggest drug distributors to trial, saying they must be held accountable for their role in the nation’s opioid epidemic. In an email, Ferguson stressed that the relevant Washington laws differ and called the cases “apples and oranges.” Public nuisance claims are at the heart of some 3,000 lawsuits brought by state and local governments against drug makers, distribution companies and pharmacies. “However, we feel confident in the strength of our case.” The attorney general’s office sued McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. in 2019, alleging they made billions off the opioid epidemic by shipping huge amounts of prescription painkillers into the state even when they knew or should have known those drugs were likely to find their way to drug dealers and people suffering from addiction. “Increased opioid prescribing by well-meaning doctors, supported by the State’s good-faith efforts to spare its residents from pain, in turn resulted in increased opioid distributions,” the companies wrote.

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History of this topic

How are states spending their opioid settlement cash? Look yours up in this database
1 week ago

How are states spending their opioid settlement cash? Look yours up in this database

NPR  

How are states spending their opioid settlement cash? Look yours up in this database toggle caption Celia Talbot Tobin for KFF Health News In the past few years, state and local governments across the U.S. have begun spending billions in opioid settlements paid by companies accused of fueling the overdose crisis. Across the country, the money supports other innovative treatment …

Arkansas sues 2 pharmacy benefit managers, accusing them of fueling opioid epidemic in state
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Arkansas sues 2 pharmacy benefit managers, accusing them of fueling opioid epidemic in state

Associated Press  

— Arkansas on Monday sued two pharmacy benefit managers that oversee coverage for insurers, employers and other large clients, accusing them of fueling the opioid crisis in the state. Griffin’s lawsuit said the companies benefitted from the opioid crisis “by negotiating favorable deals with opioid manufacturers and by not taking sufficient action to curb excessive opioid prescriptions.” “For at least …

OxyContin marketer, opioid maker announce settlements totaling $500 million
10 months, 3 weeks ago

OxyContin marketer, opioid maker announce settlements totaling $500 million

Associated Press  

An advertising agency that helped develop marketing campaigns for OxyContin and other prescription painkillers and a drugmaker announced separate agreements Thursday worth a total of $500 million to avoid going to trial on claims that they bore some responsibility for the nation’s opioid crisis. The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led negotiations with the company, said …

50 states sign up for Walmart’s opioid settlement framework
2 years ago

50 states sign up for Walmart’s opioid settlement framework

CNN  

New York CNN — Walmart said it has reached settlement agreements with all 50 US states as part of a $3.1 billion nationwide opioid settlement announced last month. In November, the retailer announced a settlement from multiple states’ attorneys general that accused the company of failing to regulate opioid prescriptions contributing to the nationwide opioid crisis. The settlement, according to …

CVS and Walgreens agree to pay $10 billion to settle lawsuits linked to opioid sales
2 years ago

CVS and Walgreens agree to pay $10 billion to settle lawsuits linked to opioid sales

NPR  

CVS and Walgreens agree to pay $10 billion to settle lawsuits linked to opioid sales Enlarge this image toggle caption Keith Srakocic/AP Keith Srakocic/AP CVS and Walgreens have agreed to pay more than $10 billion to several states in a settlement of lawsuits brought against them alleging their roles in the opioid crisis. CVS would pay nearly $5 billion over …

US pharmacy companies reach $10bn settlement over opioid claims
2 years, 1 month ago

US pharmacy companies reach $10bn settlement over opioid claims

Al Jazeera  

The deals mean CVS and Walgreens will pay more than $10bn for their roles in the opioid crisis that continues to claim thousands of lives in US. Two US pharmacy chains have reached a tentative settlement over lawsuits brought by state, local, and tribal governments accusing the companies of contributing to the opioid crisis through irresponsible practices. CVS Health and …

McKinsey reaches deal with US local governments over opioids
2 years, 1 month ago

McKinsey reaches deal with US local governments over opioids

Al Jazeera  

Leading consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to settle claims by hundreds of United States local governments and school districts around the country that it fuelled an epidemic of opioid addiction through its work for bankrupt OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and other drug companies. McKinsey previously agreed to pay more than $600m to settle opioid claims brought by …

$500M-plus from opioid deal starts heading to Washington
2 years, 2 months ago

$500M-plus from opioid deal starts heading to Washington

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — The first payments from a $518 million settlement with the nation’s three largest opioid distributors will begin reaching Washington communities in December, providing much-needed cash officials can use to hire first responders or direct toward prevention, treatment and other services, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Monday. “These significant resources will help Washington fight back against the opioid epidemic …

Tentative $161.5M settlement reached in WVa opioid trial
2 years, 6 months ago

Tentative $161.5M settlement reached in WVa opioid trial

Associated Press  

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Attorneys for the state of West Virginia and two remaining pharmaceutical manufacturers have reached a tentative $161.5 million settlement just as closing arguments were set to begin in a seven-week trial over the opioid epidemic, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Wednesday. West Virginia had reached a $99 million settlement with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals …

US judge to decide how much pharmacies owe over opioid crisis
2 years, 7 months ago

US judge to decide how much pharmacies owe over opioid crisis

Al Jazeera  

Approximately 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County between 2012 and 2016 — 400 for every county resident — while 61 million pills were dispensed in Lake County during that five-year period — 265 pills for every resident. That is the question in front of a federal judge in Cleveland, who will begin hearing testimony on Tuesday after …

Washington reaches $518M settlement with opioid distributors
2 years, 7 months ago

Washington reaches $518M settlement with opioid distributors

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — Months into a complex trial over their role in flooding Washington with highly addictive painkillers, the nation’s three largest opioid distributors agreed Tuesday to pay the state $518 million, with the vast majority being directed toward easing the addiction epidemic. Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the deal, noting that it’s worth tens of millions of dollars more than …

Washington state reaches $518m settlement with opioid suppliers
2 years, 7 months ago

Washington state reaches $518m settlement with opioid suppliers

Al Jazeera  

The agreement ends a months-long trial over the companies’ alleged role in fuelling the opioid epidemic in the state, the three companies said on Tuesday. Washington has reached a $518m settlement with drug distributors McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health, ending a months-long trial over the companies’ alleged role in fuelling the opioid epidemic in the northwestern United States …

EXPLAINER: Where do US opioid trials, settlements stand?
2 years, 8 months ago

EXPLAINER: Where do US opioid trials, settlements stand?

Associated Press  

The effort to hold drug companies, pharmacies and distributors accountable for their role in the opioid crisis has led to a whirlwind of legal activity around the U.S. that can be difficult keep tabs on. OTHER DRUGMAKERS In a major court victory for drugmakers last year, a California judge ruled against some local governments in their case against pharmaceutical companies …

Trial Opens In Florida Opioid Lawsuit Case Against Walgreens
2 years, 8 months ago

Trial Opens In Florida Opioid Lawsuit Case Against Walgreens

Huff Post  

MILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: An exterior view of a Walgreens store on January 06, 2022 in Mill Valley, California. Trial opened Monday in Florida’s opioid epidemic lawsuit against the Walgreens pharmacy chain, which state officials accuse of prioritizing profits over health by improperly dispensing millions of powerful painkillers that caused tens of thousands of deaths. Justin Sullivan via …

Johnson & Johnson, 3 distributors finalize landmark $26-billion opioid settlement
2 years, 9 months ago

Johnson & Johnson, 3 distributors finalize landmark $26-billion opioid settlement

LA Times  

Used syringes are disposed of Thursday at a needle exchange run by a health center in Camden, N.J. Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors finalized nationwide settlements over their role in the opioid addiction crisis Friday, an announcement that clears the way for a cumulative $26 billion to flow to nearly every state and local government in the …

Native American tribes reach $590 million opioid settlement
2 years, 10 months ago

Native American tribes reach $590 million opioid settlement

Associated Press  

Native American tribes have reached settlements over the toll of opioids totaling $590 million with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and the country’s three largest drug distribution companies, according to a court filing made public Tuesday. W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in Washington state, called it a big deal for tribes to reach their own settlement, in …

US opioid crisis: Native American tribes reach $590m settlement
2 years, 10 months ago

US opioid crisis: Native American tribes reach $590m settlement

Al Jazeera  

Three US drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson agree to deal resolving tribal claims over opioid epidemic. The three largest United States drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson have agreed to pay $590m to resolve claims by Native American tribes that the companies fuelled an opioid epidemic in their communities, according to court filings. The tribal settlements are …

Native American tribes reach $590-million settlement over opioids
2 years, 10 months ago

Native American tribes reach $590-million settlement over opioids

LA Times  

More than 400 tribes and intertribal organizations representing about 80% of tribal citizens have sued over opioids. Native American tribes in the U.S. have reached settlements over the toll of opioids totaling $590 million with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and the country’s three largest drug distribution companies, according to a court filing made Tuesday. The filing in the U.S. District …

New York jury holds drugmaker Teva liable in opioid crisis
2 years, 11 months ago

New York jury holds drugmaker Teva liable in opioid crisis

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Drugmaker Teva Pharmaceuticals contributed to the opioid crisis, a suburban New York jury ruled Thursday in one of few verdicts so far among thousands of lawsuits nationwide over the painkillers. A separate trial will follow to determine what Teva will have to pay in the case, in which New York state and two Long Island counties took …

US jury holds pharmacy chains responsible for role in opioid crisis
3 years ago

US jury holds pharmacy chains responsible for role in opioid crisis

ABC  

US pharmacies CVS, Walgreens and Walmart recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties, a federal court jury has found. Key points: It was the first time pharmacy companies completed a trial to defend themselves over their role in the US drug crisis The opioid drug crisis has killed half a million Americans over the past two …

Federal jury holds CVS, Walgreens, Walmart pharmacies responsible for role in opioid crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

Federal jury holds CVS, Walgreens, Walmart pharmacies responsible for role in opioid crisis

LA Times  

Trumbull County is one of two Ohio counties that blame CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies for their role in the opioid crisis. CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties, a federal jury said Tuesday in a verdict that could set the tone for U.S. city and county governments that want to …

Oklahoma court overturns $465M opioid ruling against J&J
3 years, 1 month ago

Oklahoma court overturns $465M opioid ruling against J&J

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a $465 million opioid ruling against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, finding that a lower court wrongly interpreted the state’s public nuisance law in the first case of its kind in the U.S. to go to trial. The court ruled in a 5-1 decision that District Judge Thad Balkman in 2019 …

Drug companies win in California opioid crisis lawsuit
3 years, 1 month ago

Drug companies win in California opioid crisis lawsuit

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — A California judge has ruled for top drug manufacturers as local governments seek billions of dollars to cover their costs from the nation’s opioid epidemic. Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson issued a tentative ruling on Monday that said the governments hadn’t proven the pharmaceutical companies used deceptive marketing to increase unnecessary opioid prescriptions and create …

Orange County judge rules in favor of drugmakers in California opioid crisis lawsuit
3 years, 1 month ago

Orange County judge rules in favor of drugmakers in California opioid crisis lawsuit

LA Times  

OxyContin bottles, or facsimiles thereof, lie scattered on the ground at an anti-opioid demonstration in Washington in April 2019. Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson issued a tentative ruling Monday saying the county governments hadn’t proved that the pharmaceutical companies used deceptive marketing to increase unnecessary opioid prescriptions and create a public nuisance. The plaintiffs said they were disappointed by the …

Companies: $26B settlement of opioid lawsuits to move ahead
3 years, 3 months ago

Companies: $26B settlement of opioid lawsuits to move ahead

Associated Press  

Four companies in the drug industry said Saturday that enough states had agreed to a settlement of lawsuits over the opioid crisis for them to move ahead with the $26 billion deal. An announcement from the three largest U.S. drug distribution companies and a confirmation from drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, which had previously announced that it would move ahead, came …

US drug companies say $26bn opioid settlement will proceed
3 years, 3 months ago

US drug companies say $26bn opioid settlement will proceed

Al Jazeera  

Companies say ‘enough’ US states joined a settlement resolving claims they fuelled the opioid epidemic, allowing it to move ahead. Three large US drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson will proceed with a proposed $26bn settlement resolving claims that they fuelled the opioid epidemic after “enough” states joined in, the companies said. The companies had until Saturday to decide …

Trial against opioid distributors wraps up in West Virginia
3 years, 4 months ago

Trial against opioid distributors wraps up in West Virginia

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Cardinal Health attorney Enu Mainigi tried to minimize the …

US opioid lawsuits on verge of settlements with 4 companies
3 years, 5 months ago

US opioid lawsuits on verge of settlements with 4 companies

Associated Press  

The yearslong effort by state and local governments in the U.S. to force the pharmaceutical industry to help pay to fix a nationwide opioid addiction and overdose crisis took a major step forward Tuesday when lawyers for local governments announced they were on the verge of a $26 billion settlement with the nation’s three biggest drug distribution companies and the …

State Attorneys General Reach A $26 Billion National Opioid Settlement
3 years, 5 months ago

State Attorneys General Reach A $26 Billion National Opioid Settlement

NPR  

State Attorneys General Reach A $26 Billion National Opioid Settlement Enlarge this image toggle caption Steven Senne/AP Steven Senne/AP A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general announced on Wednesday a $26 billion national settlement with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three companies that distributed opioid painkillers even as addiction and overdose deaths skyrocketed. "The opioid epidemic has torn families apart …

EXPLAINER: $26B opioid settlement big step, but not the end
3 years, 5 months ago

EXPLAINER: $26B opioid settlement big step, but not the end

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A $26 billion settlement between the three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and thousands of states and municipalities that sued over the toll of the opioid crisis is certainly significant — but it is far from tying a neat bow on the tangle of still unresolved lawsuits surrounding the epidemic. In West …

Opioid maker J&J, distributors near $26B deal with US states
3 years, 5 months ago

Opioid maker J&J, distributors near $26B deal with US states

Al Jazeera  

Along with Johnson & Johnson, the proposed settlement includes distributors McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and AmerisourceBergen Corp. Opioid maker Johnson & Johnson and three drug distributors are expected to disclose this week the final terms of a $26 billion settlement for thousands of lawsuits accusing them of fueling a public-health crisis, according to people familiar with the deal. Along …

U.S. opioid lawsuits on verge of settlements with 4 companies
3 years, 5 months ago

U.S. opioid lawsuits on verge of settlements with 4 companies

LA Times  

The three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson are on the verge of a $26-billion settlement covering thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids such as OxyContin. The years-long effort by state and local governments in the U.S. to force the pharmaceutical industry to help pay to fix a nationwide opioid addiction and overdose …

J&J agrees to pay $230M to settle New York opioid claim
3 years, 5 months ago

J&J agrees to pay $230M to settle New York opioid claim

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $230 million to New York state to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant helped fuel the opioid crisis, Attorney General Letitia James said on Saturday. The drugmaker also agreed to permanently end the manufacturing and distribution of opioids across New York and the rest of the nation, James said in …

Johnson & Johnson to pay $230m in New York opioids case
3 years, 5 months ago

Johnson & Johnson to pay $230m in New York opioids case

Al Jazeera  

US pharmaceutical giant agrees to pay up to $230m to settle claims it helped drive a deadly opioid epidemic. United States pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay up to $230m to resolve claims the company helped drive an opioid crisis, the New York state attorney general said on Saturday. Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement …

AP Interview: State AG pushes accountability in opioid cases
3 years, 6 months ago

AP Interview: State AG pushes accountability in opioid cases

Associated Press  

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has been a leader in the legal push to hold companies and individuals accountable for the U.S. opioid addiction and overdose epidemic, which has been linked to nearly 500,000 deaths over the last two decades. Healey was the first of many state attorneys general to sue individual members of the Sackler family who own Connecticut-based …

Opioid Trial In West Virginia Comes Amid A National Reckoning For Big Pharma
3 years, 6 months ago

Opioid Trial In West Virginia Comes Amid A National Reckoning For Big Pharma

NPR  

Opioid Trial In West Virginia Comes Amid A National Reckoning For Big Pharma Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Mann/NPR Brian Mann/NPR During years when the prescription opioid epidemic was spiraling out of control, corporate executives at the drug wholesaler McKesson sent at least two memos ordering employees to "refrain from using the word 'suspicious'" to describe escalating opioid orders …

US trial opens against companies accused of stoking opioid crisis
3 years, 7 months ago

US trial opens against companies accused of stoking opioid crisis

Al Jazeera  

Drug companies accused of fomenting opioid addiction in the United States are facing millions of dollars in damages in a trial that opened on Monday in the state of West Virginia, which has been hit hard by the epidemic of addiction and overdoses. “It is fitting that the trial will proceed in West Virginia, which has been ground zero of …

Opioid Scandal Haunts Drug Companies As They Respond To Pandemic
4 years, 4 months ago

Opioid Scandal Haunts Drug Companies As They Respond To Pandemic

NPR  

Opioid Scandal Haunts Drug Companies As They Respond To Pandemic Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images As drug firms race to position themselves as key players in the coronavirus fight, the industry faces a renewed wave of civil lawsuits stemming from its role in the nation's deadly opioid epidemic. Companies look to pivot away from …

Judge rejects pharmacy chains’ bid to toss opioid suits
4 years, 4 months ago

Judge rejects pharmacy chains’ bid to toss opioid suits

Associated Press  

CLEVELAND — Lawsuits filed by two Ohio counties against retail pharmacy chains claiming their opioid dispensing practices flooded communities with pain pills and were a a public nuisance can continue, a federal judge in Cleveland has determined. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster rejected the pharmacy chains’ motion to dismiss the suits, ruling Thursday that the Ohio law does indeed apply …

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