(Reuters)—Washington state on Thursday sued OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, becoming the latest state or local government to file a lawsuit seeking to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for a national opioid addiction epidemic. The city of Seattle also filed a separate lawsuit against Purdue as well as units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Johnson and…
U.S. Senator Expands Opioid Probe to Distributors, Drugmakers
(Reuters)—U.S. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill on Thursday expanded an investigation into the causes of the opioid crisis plaguing the country, seeking information from four more drugmakers and three drug distributors. The top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is focusing on the distribution of opioids and the efforts companies made to…
Missouri Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Joining Two other U.S. States
(Reuters)—Missouri on Wednesday became the third U.S. state to accuse major drug manufacturers of fraudulently misrepresenting the risks of opioid painkillers now at the center of a national addiction epidemic. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said his office filed a lawsuit in a state court in St. Louis against Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson and Johnson…
U.S. State Attorneys General Probe Opioid Drug Companies
(Reuters)—A bipartisan group of state attorneys general announced on Thursday that they are jointly investigating the marketing and sales practices of drug companies that manufacture opioid painkillers at the center of a national addiction epidemic. Attorneys general from states including Massachusetts, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania announced the investigation two weeks after Ohio Attorney General Mike…
Ohio Sues Five Drug Companies Over Opioid Crisis
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said on Wednesday his office sued five major drug manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of prescription opioid painkillers and so helping fuel a sky-rocketing drug addiction epidemic. A growing number of state and local governments are suing drugmakers and distributors, seeking to hold them accountable for the…