Preview Newsletter
Opioids EOD Media Report 5/16/17
-
Orange County files lawsuit against prescription opioid manufacturers
May 16, 2017 | MidHudson News
Orange County has become the fourth county in the state to file a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies and physicians over what the county calls “aggressive and fraudulent marketing” of prescription opioid painkillers. They charge that so-called action by the manufacturers has led to “significant public health concerns and the expenditure of taxpayer funds” in the county. -
Fourth New York county sues over opioid addiction epidemic
May 16, 2017 | The Pharma Letter
Another New York county has filed a lawsuit against pharma companies and physicians over what it calls ‘aggressive and fraudulent marketing of prescription opium-like painkillers.’ -
NY county sued Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing
May 16, 2017 | Benchmark Monitor
A county in New York state has sued Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing that played down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, leading to a drug epidemic. The lawsuit, which also named units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.TA) and Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) as defendants, was announced on Monday by Orange County, New York, which is located in the southeastern part of the state. -
County in New York goes after J&J, Teva and Endo for fraudulent marketing of opioids
May 16, 2017 | Seeking Alpha
By Douglas W. House
Reuters reports that Orange County, New York has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA), Endo International (NASDAQ:ENDP) and other drug makers accusing them of fraudulent marketing that minimized the risk of prescription opioid pain medications which led to the epidemic of abuse. -
Orange County Sues Drug Companies For Opioid Addiction
May 16, 2017 | WPDH Radio (Boughkeepsie, NY)
By Bobby Welber
Orange County is the first Hudson Valley county to sue drug companies over the opioid addiction epidemic. Orange is the fourth county in New York to file a lawsuit over the opioid epidemic. Suffolk, Broome, and Erie counties recently filed similar actions. -
New York County Sues Purdue, J&J Over Drug Marketing (VIDEO)
May 16, 2017 | SF Gate
A county in New York state has sued Purdue, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers. Orange County is accusing them of fraudulent marketing to play down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, which has lead to a drug epidemic. The New York county has a population of about 379 thousand, and said it recorded 943 opioid-related emergency department admissions in 2014, along with 44 deaths from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers in 2015. -
The Morning Ledger: Labor Issues May Stunt Trump’s Growth Agenda
May 16, 2017 | Wall Street Journal
By Rheaa Rao
Brief mention of the lawsuit in the Wall Street Journal Morning Ledger. Relevant portion included below. -
Early movers: HD, PFE, BABA, DKS, YHOO, F, VOD, FB, JNJ & more
May 16, 2017 | CNBC
By Peter Schacknow
Brief mention of the lawsuit in CNBC's Market Insider with Patti Domm, Early Movers. Relevant portion included below. -
US futures gain ground after a record day on Wall Street
May 16, 2017 | CNBC
By Matthew J. Belvedere, Peter Schacknow
Brief mention of the lawsuit in CNBC's Morning Brief. Relevant portion included below. -
Five things for pharma marketers to know: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
May 16, 2017 |
By Virginia Lau
Brief mention of the lawsuit in the Medical Marketing & Media roundup of news. -
Pfizer strikes ‘unique’ antitrust settlement with Louisiana AG for $1M worth of naloxone
May 16, 2017 | FiercePharma
By Arlene Weintraub
Brief mention of the lawsuit in FiercePharma's coverage on Pfizer's settlement with the Louisiana Attorney General. Relevant portion highlighted below. -
Orange County sues drug companies for promoting opioids
May 15, 2017 | Times Herald Record
By Chris McKenna
Orange County has become the fourth New York county to sue drug manufacturers and four doctors for aggressively promoting the use of prescription opioid painkillers, arguing that marketing masked the highly addictive nature of the drugs and fueled a national epidemic. -
New York county sues Purdue, J&J over opioid marketing
May 15, 2017 | Reuters
By Nate Raymond
A county in New York state has sued Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing that played down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, leading to a drug epidemic. -
News 12 Westchester
May 15, 2017 | n12WC (New York, NY)
View Clip Here: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/27342036?token=ecb6ffa8-006e-42a5-8755-df728f029f94
Traditional Coverage
Broadcast Coverage
Full Text of Stories Below
-
Orange County files lawsuit against prescription opioid manufacturers
May 16, 2017 | MidHudson News
Orange County has become the fourth county in the state to file a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies and physicians over what the county calls “aggressive and fraudulent marketing” of prescription opioid painkillers. They charge that so-called action by the manufacturers has led to “significant public health concerns and the expenditure of taxpayer funds” in the county.
County Executive Steven Neuhaus said the lawsuit alleges deceptive acts and practices, false advertising, public nuisance, violation of state social services laws, fraud and unjust enrichment against defendant companies as well as named physicians who allegedly were instrumental in promoting opioids for sale and distribution nationally and in Orange County.
“We want the pharmaceutical companies to change the standards on how they talk to doctors on how those prescriptions are put out,” Neuhaus said.
According to Orange County’s court complaint, 943 opioid-related emergency room admissions occurred in the county in 2014, an increase of 17.5 percent since 2010. In 2015, 44 county residents died from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers.
In New York, Suffolk, Broome and Erie counties have filed similar lawsuits.
-
Fourth New York county sues over opioid addiction epidemic
May 16, 2017 | The Pharma Letter
Another New York county has filed a lawsuit against pharma companies and physicians over what it calls ‘aggressive and fraudulent marketing of prescription opium-like painkillers.’
Orange County, which blames these opioids for significant public health concerns and the expenditure of taxpayer funds, is the fourth in the state to do so, following in the footsteps of Suffolk, Broome and Erie.
Steven Neuhaus, Orange County executive, said: “I have met people across the county who have shared their stories about how opioids have caused addiction-related problems for themselves or their friends and families.
“As a county, we are working with non-profits and physicians to bring heightened awareness to this issue. At the same time, we want those responsible to compensate the taxpayers for the public funds the county has had to pay to address opioid addiction.”
A statement adds that Orange County is seeking relief including compensatory and punitive damages for the millions of dollars it spends on fighting the public health issue caused by drug companies’ ‘deceptive marketing campaigns that misrepresent the safety and efficacy of long-term opioid use.’
The companies are accused of omitting critical, long-accepted information about the drugs’ addictive qualities and other risks. They are named by Orange County as being privately-held US firm Purdue Pharma, the healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Israeli generics company Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA) and Ireland-incorporated Endo Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ENDP).
Figures cited in the statement show that there were 943 opioid-related emergency department admissions in Orange County in 2014, an increase of 17.5% since 2010. In 2015, 44 residents of the county died from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers.
-
May 16, 2017 | Benchmark Monitor
A county in New York state has sued Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing that played down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, leading to a drug epidemic. The lawsuit, which also named units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.TA) and Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) as defendants, was announced on Monday by Orange County, New York, which is located in the southeastern part of the state.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares ticked up 2.71% to $126.99 on Monday.
The case, filed in a New York state court on Thursday, is the latest lawsuit by local and state governments seeking to hold drugmakers accountable for a national opioid epidemic. The lawsuit claims the drugmakers through deceptive marketing misrepresented the dangers of long-term opioid use to doctors, pharmacists and patients.
-
County in New York goes after J&J, Teva and Endo for fraudulent marketing of opioids
May 16, 2017 | Seeking Alpha
By Douglas W. House
Reuters reports that Orange County, New York has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA), Endo International (NASDAQ:ENDP) and other drug makers accusing them of fraudulent marketing that minimized the risk of prescription opioid pain medications which led to the epidemic of abuse.
In a statement, J&J called the allegations "unfounded" noting the FDA-required warning on the labeling. Teva and Endo declined comment.
-
Orange County Sues Drug Companies For Opioid Addiction
May 16, 2017 | WPDH Radio (Boughkeepsie, NY)
By Bobby Welber
Orange County is the first Hudson Valley county to sue drug companies over the opioid addiction epidemic.
Orange is the fourth county in New York to file a lawsuit over the opioid epidemic. Suffolk, Broome, and Erie counties recently filed similar actions.
The lawsuit alleges that pharmaceutical companies and physicians have been over aggressive and fraudulent when prescribing opium-like painkillers, which led to a significant public health risk in the Hudson Valley.
“I have met people across the County who have shared their stories about how opioids have caused addiction related problems for themselves or their friends and families,” Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said. “We want those responsible to compensate the taxpayers for the public funds the County has had to pay to address opioid addiction.”
In the complaint filed in the New York Supreme Court, Orange County wants relief including compensatory and punitive damages for the millions of dollars it spends to combat the public health issue created by the drug companies’ deceptive marketing campaigns that misrepresent the safety and efficacy of long-term opioid use.
“The opioids epidemic has resulted in great losses and injury to Orange County and its residents,” said Simmons Hanly Conroy Shareholder Paul Hanly, who will serve as lead counsel in the case. “This action seeks to hold opioid manufacturers and others responsible for their conspiratory and fraudulent actions, including the manufacture, promotion and marketing of opioids that has omitted critical, long-accepted information about the drugs’ addictive qualities and other risks associated with their prolonged use.”
The lawsuit alleges deceptive acts and practices, false advertising, public nuisance, violation of New York Social Services laws, fraud and unjust enrichment against Purdue Pharma L.P.; Purdue Pharma Inc.; The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc.; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.; Cephalon, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Endo Health Solutions Inc.; and Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; as well as physicians Russell Portenoy, Perry Fine, Scott Fishman and Lynn Webster, who allegedly were instrumental in promoting opioids.
According to the New York State Department of Health, in Orange County in 2014, there was 943 opioid-related emergencies, an increase of 17.5 percent since 2010. In 2015, 44 Orange County residents died from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers.
“Families across America, including here in Orange County, have been impacted by opioid related addictions,” Neuhaus said. “This litigation is part of our efforts to avoid more opioid addiction and also to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers and those who have aided them in the sale and distribution of these highly addictive drugs accountable.”
-
New York County Sues Purdue, J&J Over Drug Marketing (VIDEO)
May 16, 2017 | SF Gate
A county in New York state has sued Purdue, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers. Orange County is accusing them of fraudulent marketing to play down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, which has lead to a drug epidemic. The New York county has a population of about 379 thousand, and said it recorded 943 opioid-related emergency department admissions in 2014, along with 44 deaths from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers in 2015.
View video here: http://www.sfgate.com/news/media/New-York-County-Sues-Purdue-J-J-Over-Drug-870683.php
-
The Morning Ledger: Labor Issues May Stunt Trump’s Growth Agenda
May 16, 2017 | Wall Street Journal
By Rheaa Rao
New York county sues drugmakers over opioid marketing. Orange County alleged that drugmakers engaged in false marketing that underemphasized the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, Reuters reports. Purdue Pharma LP,Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. were among the companies named.
-
Early movers: HD, PFE, BABA, DKS, YHOO, F, VOD, FB, JNJ & more
May 16, 2017 | CNBC
By Peter Schacknow
Johnson & Johnson – J&J is among the drugmakers being sued by New York State's Orange County, which said the companies are engaging in fraudulent marketing that downplays the dangers of prescription opioid painkillers. Teva Pharmaceutical and Endo International are also among those named in the suit.
-
US futures gain ground after a record day on Wall Street
May 16, 2017 | CNBC
By Matthew J. Belvedere, Peter Schacknow
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is among the drug makers being sued by New York's Orange County, which said the companies are engaging in fraudulent marketing that downplays the dangers of prescription opioid painkillers. Teva (TEVA) and Endo (ENDP) are also among those named.
-
Five things for pharma marketers to know: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
May 16, 2017 |
By Virginia Lau
1. A New York county filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma, Endo, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, alleging that the drugmakers misled physicians, patients, and pharmacists about the dangers of their opioid products in their marketing materials. (Reuters)
2. AstraZeneca sued former executive Luke Miels, who was named president of global pharmaceuticals for GlaxoSmithKline in January. AZ alleges that he violated his employment contract. (Bloomberg)
3. Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired Patheon, which makes biological therapies, for $5.2 billion. Thermo Fisher, a manufacturer of diagnostic and testing equipment, has invested $22 billion in acquisitions in the past five years. (Bloomberg)
4. Pharmaceutical spending on research and development surpassed that of revenues as well as sales, general and administrative expenses, according to financial data from 2005 to 2015 for ten pharma companies. (Forbes)
5. Biogen acquired Remedy's experimental stroke medicine Cirara. It will pay Remedy $120 million upfront.
-
Pfizer strikes ‘unique’ antitrust settlement with Louisiana AG for $1M worth of naloxone
May 16, 2017 | FiercePharma
By Arlene Weintraub
When Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry inherited an antitrust lawsuit levied against Pfizer by his predecessor in 2015, he spotted an opportunity to combat the state’s mounting opioid epidemic.
The lawsuit has nothing to do with prescription opioids—it alleged Pfizer was trying to block generic versions of its anti-convulsant Neurontin—but the pharma giant also manufactures naloxone, the drug that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. And therein was the opportunity.
Landry announced Monday that instead of a cash settlement in the antitrust case, Pfizer will provide Louisiana with 60,000 vials of naloxone, worth about $1 million. The drug will be distributed to first responders via vouchers, each of which can be redeemed for 10 doses, Landry said during a press conference broadcast live on Facebook.
“In working with Pfizer, we saw an opportunity to get at one of the dimensions … in this fight against the opioid epidemic,” Landry said. He added that his office would be working with fire and police departments in the state to ensure they have enough doses on hand.
Louisiana State Senator Fred Mills noted during the press conference that other states had reached cash agreements with Pfizer in antitrust cases, but that Louisiana’s lawmakers felt naloxone would be more valuable to the state, which ranks in the top 10 for opioid overdoses.
“This is the most unique settlement in the United States,” he said.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Louisiana Attorney General that helps to address the serious public health concern of prescription opioid abuse," a Pfizer spokeswoman said in an email to Fierce Pharma.
This is not the first time Pfizer has worked with local legislators to fight opioid abuse. Last summer, the company formed an agreement on painkiller marketing with the city of Chicago, publicly codifying its own internal rules for the sale of its one opioid-based painkiller. Chicago sued several other pharma companies, including Teva and Purdue, alleging they used unfair marketing practices to steer patients toward opioids for pain relief.
Pfizer wasn’t named in that suit, nor did it admit any wrongdoing in its pact with the city. A company spokeswoman told Fierce at the time that Pfizer believed allying with Chicago to fight opioid abuse was an important public health initiative.
Pfizer’s settlement with the Louisiana AG’s office came on the same day a New York county filed a lawsuit against four drugmakers in state court alleging that deceptive marketing played down the risks of opioid painkillers. The suit named units of Teva and Endo, as well as Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson, according to Reuters. Pfizer is not named in that suit.
As for doling out naloxone to settle a Neurontin issue, that was a shrewd move by Pfizer to shed itself of charges it’s been fighting since 2002. Several Neurontin purchasers filed antitrust claims against the company back then alleging it set out to protect its brand against generic competition by filing “sham” patent lawsuits. It became a class action suit, which Pfizer settled in 2014 for $190 million.
But some states still had claims against the company, including Louisiana. For AG Landry, $1 million worth of naloxone was the best possible outcome. Landry called the vials of naloxone that Pfizer will be providing to the state “priceless” during the press conference.
-
Orange County sues drug companies for promoting opioids
May 15, 2017 | Times Herald Record
By Chris McKenna
Orange County has become the fourth New York county to sue drug manufacturers and four doctors for aggressively promoting the use of prescription opioid painkillers, arguing that marketing masked the highly addictive nature of the drugs and fueled a national epidemic.
The lawsuit, identical to ones brought in Suffolk County in August and in Broome and Erie counties in February, was filed in state Supreme Court in Goshen on Thursday.
Orange County has become the fourth New York county to sue drug manufacturers and four doctors for aggressively promoting the use of prescription opioid painkillers, arguing that marketing masked the highly addictive nature of the drugs and fueled a national epidemic.
The lawsuit, identical to ones brought in Suffolk County in August and in Broome and Erie counties in February, was filed in state Supreme Court in Goshen on Thursday.
They argue they are entitled to sue because they spend millions of dollars a year on health-care costs - including prescription drugs - for the indigent and “otherwise eligible residents,” and also pay for law enforcement and other services affected by drug addiction.
The lawsuits are demanding unspecified amounts in compensatory and punitive damages.
“The opioids epidemic has resulted in great losses and injury to Orange County and its residents,” attorney Paul Hanly said in a press release announcing the case on Monday.
Citing state Department of Health statistics, the complaint says Orange County had 943 emergency hospital admissions related to opioid use in 2014 - up 17.5 percent from 2010 - and 44 fatal opioid overdoses in 2015.
-
New York county sues Purdue, J&J over opioid marketing
May 15, 2017 | Reuters
By Nate Raymond
A county in New York state has sued Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing that played down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, leading to a drug epidemic.
The lawsuit, which also named units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.TA) and Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) as defendants, was announced on Monday by Orange County, New York, which is located in the southeastern part of the state.
The case, filed in a New York state court on Thursday, is the latest lawsuit by local and state governments seeking to hold drugmakers accountable for a national opioid epidemic.
The lawsuit claims the drugmakers through deceptive marketing misrepresented the dangers of long-term opioid use to doctors, pharmacists and patients.
Those misrepresentations about drugs like Purdue's OxyContin and Endo's Opana ER led Orange County to incur health care, criminal justice and other costs related to addiction, the lawsuit said.
Orange County, which has a population of about 379,000, said it recorded 943 opioid-related emergency department admissions in 2014 and 44 deaths from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers in 2015.
Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said in a statement the county has been working with non-profits and doctors to increase awareness to opioid-related problems.
"At the same time, we want those responsible to compensate the taxpayers for the public funds the county has had to pay to address opioid addiction," he said.
The lawsuit also named four physicians as defendants.
J&J in a statement called the allegations "unfounded" and noted its drugs carry U.S. Food and Drug Administration-mandated warnings.
Purdue said it shares officials' concerns about the opioid crisis and is "committed to working collaboratively to find solutions."
Endo did not respond to a request for comment. Teva declined to comment.
Opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin, killed over 33,000 people in the United States in 2015, more than any year on record, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Orange County's lawsuit is the fourth since August by a New York county seeking to recover costs related to opioid addiction. Several other counties are also considering suing.
Drugmakers also face lawsuits by Santa Clara and Orange counties in California, the city of Chicago and Mississippi over their marketing practices.
Some state attorneys general have started similar investigations. J&J this month said New Jersey's attorney general had issued a subpoena related to opioid marketing.
-
May 15, 2017 | n12WC (New York, NY)
View Clip Here: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/27342036?token=ecb6ffa8-006e-42a5-8755-df728f029f94
Rough Transcript: Orange County has joined three other counties across the state-- suing drug manufacturers over the opioid epidemic. County executive Steve Neuhaus says the fraudulent marketing of prescription pain killers by pharmaceutical companies is a major cause of public heath concern in his county. the lawsuit accuses the drug companies of trying to create a false perception in the minds of physicians, patients, health care providers in a statement Neuhaus says in part, quote: "we want those responsible to compensate the taxpayers for the public funds the county has had to pay to address opioid addiction." orange joins Suffolk, Broome, and Erie as the other New York counties to sue over that opioid abuse crisis, and I’m pretty sure there will be more.
Traditional Coverage
Broadcast Coverage
Full Text of Stories Below
Add recipients
Suggested