Preview Newsletter
Opioid Coverage (6/21)
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Missouri Attorney General Sues Opioid Manufacturers for Fraud
Jun 21, 2017 | Missouri Attorney General' Website
By Missouri Attorney General's Office
St. Louis, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit today against three large drug manufacturing companies in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City. Hawley is suing Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The lawsuit alleges that these companies fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks posed by the drugs they manufacture and sell. -
Editorial: New lawsuit is an important tool in Missouri’s fight against opioid abuse
| Kansas City Star
By Kansas City Star Editorial Board
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is taking an important and necessary step in the ongoing effort to address the opioid drug crisis in the state. Hawley sued three pharmaceutical companies in state court Wednesday in St. Louis, alleging the firms contributed to the overuse of pain-killing medicines such as OxyContin and Percocet. -
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley files lawsuit against opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | Kansas City Star
By Bryan Lowry
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley will file a lawsuit Wednesday against three of the largest manufacturers of opioids, accusing the companies of violating Missouri’s consumer protection laws. -
Missouri AG: lawsuit filed against Opioid manufacturers for fraud
Jun 21, 2017 | KFVS 12
By Alycia Dobrinick
ST. LOUIS, MO (KFVS) - Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has filed a lawsuit against three drug manufacturing companies. -
Missouri attorney general sues opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | Reuters
By Nate Raymond
Missouri's attorney general on Wednesday announced a lawsuit against three major drug manufacturers claiming they fraudulently misrepresented the risks posed by opioid painkillers now at the center of a national addiction epidemic. -
Missouri AG files fraud lawsuit against opioid makers - See more at: http://www.abc17news.com/news/missouri-ag-files-fraud-lawsuit-against-opioid-makers/554901553#sthash.RUnfTRdD.dpuf
Jun 21, 2017 | ABC 17
By Joe McLean
ST. LOUIS - Attorney General Josh Hawley announced Wednesday that he will file a lawsuit against three large drug manufacturing companies. - See more at: http://www.abc17news.com/news/missouri-ag-files-fraud-lawsuit-against-opioid-makers/554901553#sthash.RUnfTRdD.dpuf -
Missouri AG files lawsuit against opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | KSDK
By KSDK
ST. LOUIS - Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced a lawsuit against three opioid manufactures on Wednesday. -
Missouri attorney general sues drug companies over opioids
Jun 21, 2017 | Associated Press
By Jim Salter
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is suing three large pharmaceutical companies, saying their “campaign of deception” led to a startling opioid crisis in the state. -
Opioid Manufacturers Sued By Missouri Attorney General (Video)
Jun 21, 2017 | SF Gate
By SF Gate
On Wednesday, Missouri's attorney general announced a lawsuit against three major drug manufacturers claiming that they fraudulently misrepresented the inherent risks posed by opioid painkillers. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said the lawsuit was filed in a state court against Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals and a unit of Endo International Plc. Opioid painkillers have become the center of a national addiction epidemic -
Missouri sues three drug companies for pushing painkillers
Jun 21, 2017 | St. Louis Dispatch
By Blythe Bernhard
Missouri sued three large drug companies today for hiding the addictive risks of prescription painkillers, which have been blamed for an epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose deaths. -
MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES OPIOID MANUFACTURERS FOR FRAUD
Jun 21, 2017 | Webster Country Citizen
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit today against three large drug manufacturing companies in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City. Hawley is suing Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The lawsuit alleges that these companies fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks posed by the drugs they manufacture and sell. -
MO Attorney General Filed Suit Against Opioid Manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | KZRG
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit Wednesday against three large drug manufacturing companies. -
Missouri AG files suit against 3 opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | CNN
By Carma Hassan
Missouri has filed suit against three pharmaceutical companies for allegedly violating the state's Medicare fraud and consumer-protection statutes by "misrepresenting the truth" about opioids, Attorney General Josh Hawley said Wednesday. -
Hawley Sues Opioid Manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | Ozarks First
By Karen Libby
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The State of Missouri is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from three pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioid pain medications, alleging fraud. -
Missouri sues three opioid drug makers
Jun 21, 2017 | Consumer Affairs
By Mark Huffman
Missouri is the latest state to try to hold opioid drug manufacturers accountable for the widespread misuse of the drugs, to which many people are addicted. -
Missouri attorney general sues drug companies over opioids
Jun 21, 2017 | Newburgh Gazette
By Sheryl Bailey
The lawsuit, filed in state court by Attorney General Joshua Hawley, targets various parent companies and subsidiaries, including Purdue Pharma L.P., Johnson & Johnson and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a unit of Endo International PLC. -
Missouri Files Its Own Suit Against Opioid-Painkiller Producers
Jun 21, 2017 | Wall Street Journal
By Jeanne Whalen
Missouri became the latest state to file a lawsuit against opioid-painkiller companies, alleging they helped create an addiction crisis by misrepresenting the risks and benefits of their drugs. -
Kentucky AG Investigating Drug Manufacturers’ Influence On Opioid Crisis
Jun 21, 2017 | WFPL
By Lisa Gillespie
Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear announced on Wednesday that he is working with attorneys general from across the country to investigate whether drug manufacturers contributed to the opioid epidemic “by illegally marketing and selling opioids,” according to his office.
Traditional Media
Other Coverage
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Missouri Attorney General Sues Opioid Manufacturers for Fraud
Jun 21, 2017 | Missouri Attorney General' Website
By Missouri Attorney General's Office
St. Louis, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit today against three large drug manufacturing companies in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City. Hawley is suing Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The lawsuit alleges that these companies fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks posed by the drugs they manufacture and sell.
“Our state faces an urgent public-health crisis brought on by fraud. These companies have profited from the suffering of Missourians,” Hawley said. “Today, we begin to fight to put an end to this crisis as we fight for the thousands of lives endangered and lost to the opioid epidemic.”
The drug companies named in today’s suit carried out a complex, multi-year campaign in which they deliberately misrepresented the addictive risks of opioids. This resulted in thousands of patients being given unnecessary opioids prescriptions, often to treat chronic pain.
“I was given an opioid prescription that I never should have been given,” Eddie Bunnell, a former opioid addict, said. “Now I’m speaking out about my addiction to show other addicts that they’re not alone. I care; Josh Hawley cares; and Missouri cares.”
The civil action filed today by Hawley and his office seeks to hold the drug manufacturing companies accountable for their actions and to begin the healing process for the families and communities that have suffered from the opioid epidemic.
“I lost my daughter to the opioid epidemic three years ago,” Jammie Fabick said. “For the sake of my daughter and all the other lives lost, we have to put a stop to this epidemic.”
“Today’s suit is about seeking justice for the victims of this epidemic and their families,” Hawley said. “But it is also about the beginning of building a healthier Missouri and giving those ravaged by this scourge the opportunity to heal.”
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Editorial: New lawsuit is an important tool in Missouri’s fight against opioid abuse
| Kansas City Star
By Kansas City Star Editorial Board
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is taking an important and necessary step in the ongoing effort to address the opioid drug crisis in the state.
Hawley sued three pharmaceutical companies in state court Wednesday in St. Louis, alleging the firms contributed to the overuse of pain-killing medicines such as OxyContin and Percocet.
The companies — Perdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals — knew the painkillers were addictive and potentially dangerous, the lawsuit says, but promoted them to doctors and patients anyway.ADVERTISING
“This opioid epidemic is the direct result of a carefully crafted campaign of deception carried out by Defendants,” the lawsuit alleges. “For years, Defendants fraudulently misrepresented the risks posed by the drugs that they manufacture and sell, misleading both doctors and consumers.”
Hawley wants unspecified damages from the companies.
Lawsuits are only allegations. Missourians will want to hear the evidence before reaching a conclusion about the companies’ culpability for the ongoing use of opioid drugs, which have ravaged the state and nation, causing thousands of deaths and costing billions of dollars.
But we applaud Hawley’s action. A trial could shed light on the roots of the crisis and perhaps bolster efforts to reduce the drugs’ impact on vulnerable patients.
It’s possible other states will file similar lawsuits. Hawley’s case resembles state-based lawsuits filed against tobacco companies in the 1990s — legal action that led to multi-billion-dollar reimbursements for states, higher taxes on tobacco products and at least some reduction in smoking, a result that has saved lives.
There are differences between the two products. Unlike tobacco, opioids can play a legitimate role in relieving acute pain. It would be wrong for Missouri or any state to seek an outright ban on such drugs, either through public pressure or as part of any lawsuit.
Dramatically increasing the cost of opioids would hurt those who need them.
At the same time, no one can doubt the harm opioid overuse and misuse has caused. In 2015, more than 1,000 people died in Missouri as a result of drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Half of the those deaths have been attributed to non-heroin opioid abuse. Additionally, more than 24,000 Missourians go to the hospital each year to treat opioid-related maladies.
Tuesday, the government said nearly 1.3 million Americans sought emergency room help for opioid misuse in 2014, twice as many as in 2005.
Hawley’s lawsuit does not relieve Missouri from its own obligations to fight opioid abuse. Missouri remains the only state in the nation without a prescription drug monitoring program, an oversight the legislature must correct. The attorney general can’t ask a court to do what a state won’t do for itself.
But using the tools of the courtroom to hold drug makers accountable is an important and valid effort. Hawley promises the legal work will stay in-house, reducing the cost to taxpayers.
Missourians will want to watch the progress of this case carefully. It will take a multifaceted approach to solve the opioid crisis, and Missouri’s lawsuit is a welcome step in the right direction.
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Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley files lawsuit against opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | Kansas City Star
By Bryan Lowry
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit Wednesday against three of the largest manufacturers of opioids, accusing the companies of violating Missouri’s consumer protection laws.
The complaint, which was filed in St. Louis, calls opioid abuse an epidemic in Missouri that is a “direct result of a carefully crafted campaign of deception” by the pharmaceutical companies that “fraudulently misrepresented the risks posed by the drugs that they manufacture and sell, misleading both doctors and consumers.”
The companies targeted in the civil suit are Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, which manufactures OxyContin, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson.ADVERTISING
Hawley, a Republican, said that these companies were chosen because his office is “confident about the evidence we have about their fraud” and because they make up “the lion’s share” of the opioid market.
The complaint does not specify a dollar amount the state is seeking, but Hawley said the suit would be one of the largest in the state’s history.
“We will seek hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and hundreds of millions more in civil penalties,” Hawley said.
He said his hope is that the money will go toward drug rehabilitation and other services for families impacted by addiction.
The lawsuit states that roughly 500 people in Missouri died from non-heroin opioid overdoses in 2015 alone and that thousands more have to go to the hospital for opioid abuse each year.
“Thousands and tens of thousands of Missourians are suffering,” he said. “I’ve talked to families who have lost teenagers to drug overdoses. I’ve talked to folks who have struggled as adults.”
In Missouri, about 9 out of 100,000 people died from opioid-related causes in 2014, compared with the national average of about 6 per 100,000, according to data from the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
Stephen Mock, the vice president for investor relations and corporate affairs at Endo, said in an email that the Pennsylvania-based company has a policy not to comment on current litigation. He did comment more broadly on concerns about opioid abuse.
“At Endo, our top priorities include patient safety and ensuring that patients with chronic pain have access to safe and effective therapeutic options. We share in the FDA’s goal of appropriately supporting the needs of patients with chronic pain while preventing misuse and diversion of opioid products,” Mock said.
Jessica Castles Smith, the spokeswoman for New Jersey-based Janssen, said in an email that the company has “acted appropriately, responsibly and in the best interests of patients regarding our opioid pain medications, which are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about the known risks of the medications on every product label.”
“At Janssen, we put the needs and well-being of the patients, caregivers and families we serve first. More than 100 million American adults suffer from chronic pain, a significant public health problem that places a tremendous emotional and financial burden on patients and their families. Our opioid pain medications give doctors and patients important choices to help manage the debilitating effects of chronic pain,” she said.
John Puskar, the spokesman for Connecticut-based Purdue, said in an email that the company vigorously denies the allegations in the complaint but shares “the attorney general’s concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions.”
“OxyContin accounts for less than 2% of the opioid analgesic prescription market nationally, but we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology, advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naloxone — all important components for combating the opioid crisis,” Puskar said.
Missouri is the only state in the nation without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program.
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, launched an investigation into the industry earlier this year. McCaskill’s probe extends to two of the companies named in Hawley’s lawsuit, Purdue Pharma and Janssen. McCaskill has also called for Republican Gov. Eric Greitens to hold a special session in order to resolve the state’s lack of a statewide monitoring program.
Hawley, who has been rumored to be weighing a run against McCaskill, said he has not spoken to the senator about his parallel efforts to hold the industry accountable. He also said he would leave the question of whether new legislation is needed to the governor and lawmakers.
Hawley is one of several state attorneys general to pursue legal action against opioid manufacturers. States launched similar lawsuits against the tobacco companies in the 1990s, resulting in a master settlement that requires a portion of the tobacco companies’ profits to go to states each year.
Mississippi’s attorney general was the first to file a lawsuit in 2015, while Ohio’s attorney general filed a similar case last month. Attorneys general in several other states have also launched probes into the industry.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office said that it could “not confirm or deny participation” in a multistate investigation into opioids.
Hawley said that his suit had not been coordinated with anyone else. Asked about the decision to file the suit in St. Louis, Hawley noted that nearly half of all opioid-related hospitalizations in the state take place in the St. Louis area.
His office filed the suit in state court because he believes the state’s consumer protection laws offer the best tools.
“We have laws that prohibit exactly the kind of things that these companies are doing, so what we need now is for the law to be enforced,” he said.
When asked about the amount of resources his offices would devote to the matter, Hawley said he was ready to commit all 200 attorneys in his office to the case if necessary.
The complaint lists 10 attorneys’ names in addition to Hawley’s.
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Missouri AG: lawsuit filed against Opioid manufacturers for fraud
Jun 21, 2017 | KFVS 12
By Alycia Dobrinick
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has filed a lawsuit against three drug manufacturing companies.
He alleges that the companies "fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks posed by the drugs they manufacture and sell."
Purdue Pharmaceutical, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals are all named in the suit. Hawley said the companies have violated the state's consumer-protection laws and Medicaid statutes.
During a press conference, Hawley said the companies have helped create an epidemic of drug abuse, "This epidemic is destroying families, taking lives, and tearing the social fabric of our state."
Hawley is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from the drug companies, and hundreds of millions more in civil penalties.
According to Hawley, the opioid death rate in Missouri is 160% of the national average.
He presented statistics that showed that in 2012, physicians wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioids in the United States. Hawley said that's 10 million more prescriptions than there are adults in the U.S.
Hawley filed the lawsuit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City.
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Missouri attorney general sues opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | Reuters
By Nate Raymond
n" style="transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px);">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 & Johnson and units of Endo International Plc.
Hawley said the three companies knew their opioid products were addictive and potentially life-threatening, but "engaged in a deliberate campaign of fraud to convince Missouri doctors and consumers otherwise."
"They used bogus front organizations and fake research; they used fraudulent advertising and deceptive trade practices," Hawley said in remarks prepared for a news conference. "And they repeatedly lied about the true risks of the drugs they sold."
Hawley said the lawsuit accuses the companies of violating Missouri's consumer protection laws and its Medicaid statutes and seeks hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and civil penalties.
The case made Missouri the third state to sue drug manufacturers over their opioid marketing and sales practices. Last week a bipartisan group of state attorneys general announced an investigation.
Purdue, J&J and Endo were previously sued in similar lawsuits by the Ohio and Mississippi attorneys general, who also targeted Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and Allergan Plc.
Opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin, killed more than 33,000 people in the United States in 2015, more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
J&J's Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit said in a statement it acted appropriately and responsibly, adding that its opioid pain medications were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and carry mandated warnings about their known risks.
Purdue, which manufactures OxyContin, said it denied the allegations but shared Hawley's concerns about the opioid crisis and was "committed to working collaboratively to find solutions."
Endo declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said its "top priorities include patient safety and ensuring that patients with chronic pain have access to safe and effective therapeutic options."
The FDA this month asked Endo to withdraw its long-lasting opioid painkiller Opana ER from the market.
Beyond the states' cases, similar lawsuits have been filed by local governments, including two California counties; the cities of Chicago and Dayton, Ohio; three Tennessee district attorneys; and nine New York counties.
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Jun 21, 2017 | ABC 17
By Joe McLean
ST. LOUIS - Attorney General Josh Hawley announced Wednesday that he will file a lawsuit against three large drug manufacturing companies.
The fraud lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City, accuses the companies of misrepresenting the risks posed by opioid products.
"For years, the citizens of our state have been the victims of a deliberate campaign of fraud and deception about the nature of drugs called opioids," said Hawley. "I am filing one of the largest lawsuits in Missouri history against three major pharmaceutical companies that have made billions in profits from the opioid epidemic."
Hawley will attempt to prove that Purdue Pharmaceutical, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals violated Missouri’s consumer-protection laws and Medicaid statutes by committing fraud.
"We are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from these drug companies, and hundreds of millions more in civil penalties," said Hawley. "We seek one of the largest judgments in Missouri history."
This lawsuit comes after the state legislature failed to pass the Narcotics Control Act which would implement the country's last, statewide prescription drug monitoring program.
- See more at: http://www.abc17news.com/news/missouri-ag-files-fraud-lawsuit-against-opioid-makers/554901553#sthash.RUnfTRdD.dpuf
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Missouri AG files lawsuit against opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | KSDK
By KSDK
ST. LOUIS - Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced a lawsuit against three opioid manufactures on Wednesday.
The complaint calls opioid abuse and epidemic in Missouri and an urgent public-health crisis.
“Missouri faces an urgent public-health crisis. Each year, hundreds of Missourians die from opioid overdoses, while tens of thousands more are hospitalized or require emergency treatment. Opioid addiction and abuse have destroyed the lives of countless Missourians and ravaged communities across the State.”
Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals are all named in the suit.
Hawley said the companies were chosen in the lawsuit because he’s confident about the evidence the office has about their fraud and they make up the ‘lion’s share’ of the opioid market.
“Defendants fraudulently misrepresented the risks posed by the drugs that they manufacture and sell, misleading both doctors and consumers,” The complaint states.
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Missouri attorney general sues drug companies over opioids
Jun 21, 2017 | Associated Press
By Jim Salter
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley on Wednesday filed suit against three large pharmaceutical companies, saying their "campaign of fraud and deception" led to a startling opioid crisis in the state.
Hawley, a Republican, filed suit St. Louis Circuit Court, naming Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Hawley said at a news conference that the suit will seek "hundreds of millions of dollars" in both damages and civil penalties.
Hawley said the three companies over several years misrepresented the addictive risks of opioids, often using fraudulent science to back their claims. As a result, thousands of Missourians dealing with chronic pain were given unnecessary opioid prescriptions.
"For years now, the citizens of Missouri have been the victims of a coordinated campaign of fraud and deception about the nature of drugs known as opioids," Hawley said. The companies named in the suit "have profited from the suffering of Missourians," he said.
Officials with Janssen and Purdue Pharma said in statements that their companies share concerns about the opioid crisis, but both denied wrongdoing. Janssen spokeswoman Jessica Castles Smith said the company "has acted appropriately, responsibly and in the best interests of patients regarding our opioid pain medications ..." Purdue Pharma said the company "vigorously" denied the allegations in the lawsuit and is an industry leader in developing "abuse-deterrent technology."
Messages seeking comment from Endo Pharmaceuticals were not immediately returned.
Hawley said any money awarded in the suit should go toward drug rehabilitation services and efforts to help families affected by drug addiction.
He was joined at the news conference by Eddie Bunnell, a recovering opioid addict, and Jammie Fabick of St. Louis, whose 17-year-old daughter, Helen, was an honor student who loved horses. Her father found Helen dead in her bed in February 2014, the morning before a father-daughter dance at her high school.RELATED CONTENTFrom Punishing Users to Treating a Disease
"If this sounds like a nightmare, it has definitely been a nightmare for our family," Fabbick, 45, said. "It's something no parent should ever have to do, to bury her own child, to something so senseless."
Opioids are a class of drugs that range from prescription pain medications like oxycodone, codeine and morphine to illegal drugs like heroin. The lawsuit said about 500 people in Missouri died from non-heroin opioid overdoses in 2015. Thousands of others were hospitalized.
Yet Missouri remains the only state that has failed to create a prescription drug monitoring system, a database that allows doctors and pharmacists to keep track of patients' prescriptions. Lawmakers again this year considered a monitoring system but failed to approve it.
Hawley said the Legislature "should act to pass a prescription drug monitoring program" as part of a multi-pronged effort "to address what is a national epidemic but one that has had serious consequences here in the state of Missouri."
Last month, Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, began an investigation of the pharmaceutical industry, including two of the same companies named in Hawley's lawsuit, Purdue Pharma and Janssen.
Other states have also sued pharmaceutical companies over the opioid crisis, starting with Mississippi in 2015.
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Opioid Manufacturers Sued By Missouri Attorney General (Video)
Jun 21, 2017 | SF Gate
By SF Gate
On Wednesday, Missouri's attorney general announced a lawsuit against three major drug manufacturers claiming that they fraudulently misrepresented the inherent risks posed by opioid painkillers. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said the lawsuit was filed in a state court against Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals and a unit of Endo International Plc. Opioid painkillers have become the center of a national addiction epidemic
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Missouri sues three drug companies for pushing painkillers
Jun 21, 2017 | St. Louis Dispatch
By Blythe Bernhard
Missouri sued three large drug companies Wednesday for allegedly hiding the addictive risks of prescription painkillers, which have caused a nationwide epidemic of drug abuse and overdose deaths.
Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals deceived doctors and patients by downplaying the risks of opioid painkillers they manufacture. The drug companies knowingly misrepresented the addictive qualities of opioids in their marketing, which led to unnecessary prescriptions and abuse, according to the lawsuit.
Close to 2 million Americans abuse prescription painkillers and more than 40 overdose on the pills and die each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet are not recommended for long-term use and can lead to addiction to heroin, an illegal opiate that is usually cheaper and easier to get. Last year more than 650 people died from heroin and other opioids including pain pills in the St. Louis region, which has the highest death rate in the state.
After filing what he called one of the largest lawsuits in Missouri history, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, Attorney General Josh Hawley said "we come to hold these companies accountable."
Hawley said at a press conference outside St. Louis circuit court that the drugmakers used shadow companies as a front to push faulty research extolling the benefits and downplaying the risks of their painkillers.
Hazelwood-based Mallinckrodt, which makes generic versions of opioid painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone, was not named in the suit. Last year, Mallinckrodt generated about $273 million in sales on the drugs.
Hawley said the three companies chosen for the suit "comprise a lion's share of the market" and he is confident in the evidence the state has against them.
A spokesman for Connecticut-based Purdue, which manufactures the painkiller OxyContin, a brand name for oxycodone, denied the allegations in the lawsuit.
"We share the attorney general's concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions," according to a statement from the company. "OxyContin accounts for less than 2 percent of the opioid analgesic prescription market nationally, but we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology, advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naloxone — all important components for combating the opioid crisis."
Missouri's lawsuit is one of several filed by governments in response to the national opioid epidemic.
Last month, Ohio sued the same three companies plus two others, Teva and Allergan, over many of the same complaints of deceptive marketing. A similar lawsuit is pending in Mississippi. The city of Everett, Washington sued Purdue Pharma earlier this year alleging that the company knowingly profited off illegal sales of its drug OxyContin. West Virginia, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, last year filed suit against several drug distributors and pharmacies.
Purdue Pharma settled a lawsuit brought by Kentucky in December 2015 for $24 million.
A representative for Endo Health of Pennsylvania said they do not comment on current litigation but are committed to preventing misuse of painkillers.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Endo to pull its painkiller Opana ER from the market. The move was a first by the FDA against a prescription painkiller.
A spokeswoman for New Jersey-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals did not respond to requests for comment.
Jammie Fabick spoke at Hawley's press conference and said she was grateful for his action against the drug companies. Her 17-year-old daughter, Helen, died in 2014 on the day she was supposed to attend the father-daughter dance at Ursuline Academy of St. Louis.
"I was not educated ... I didn't see any of the exact signs (of drug abuse)," Fabick said.
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MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES OPIOID MANUFACTURERS FOR FRAUD
Jun 21, 2017 | Webster Country Citizen
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit today against three large drug manufacturing companies in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City. Hawley is suing Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The lawsuit alleges that these companies fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks posed by the drugs they manufacture and sell.
“Our state faces an urgent public-health crisis brought on by fraud. These companies have profited from the suffering of Missourians,” Hawley said. “Today, we begin to fight to put an end to this crisis as we fight for the thousands of lives endangered and lost to the opioid epidemic.”
The drug companies named in today’s suit carried out a complex, multi-year campaign in which they deliberately misrepresented the addictive risks of opioids. This resulted in thousands of patients being given unnecessary opioids prescriptions, often to treat chronic pain.
“I was given an opioid prescription that I never should have been given,” Eddie Bunnell, a former opioid addict, said. “Now I’m speaking out about my addiction to show other addicts that they’re not alone. I care; Josh Hawley cares; and Missouri cares.”
The civil action filed today by Hawley and his office seeks to hold the drug manufacturing companies accountable for their actions and to begin the healing process for the families and communities that have suffered from the opioid epidemic.
“I lost my daughter to the opioid epidemic three years ago,” Jammie Fabick said. “For the sake of my daughter and all the other lives lost, we have to put a stop to this epidemic.”
“Today’s suit is about seeking justice for the victims of this epidemic and their families,” Hawley said. “But it is also about the beginning of building a healthier Missouri and giving those ravaged by this scourge the opportunity to heal.”
FACT SHEET: MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH HAWLEY TAKES ON BIG DRUG COMPANIES OVER
OPIOIDS
(1) Lawsuit Targeting Fraudulent Drug Manufacturing Companies. Attorney General Hawley has today filed a lawsuit against three major drug manufacturing companies in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City. Companies listed as defendants in the suit are (a) Purdue Pharma; (b) Endo Health Solutions; and (c) Janssen Pharmaceuticals. These companies have deliberately misrepresented addictive risks of opioids and misled both doctors and consumers. Hawley’s lawsuit seeks to hold these companies accountable for the extraordinary public-health crisis that Missouri now faces.
(2) An Urgent Public-Health Crisis Demanding Recognition. Each year, hundreds of Missourians die from opioid overdoses, while thousands more are hospitalized or require emergency treatment.
Opioid addiction and abuse have destroyed the lives of countless Missourians and ravaged communities across the State. Thousands of lives are at risk if this crisis continues.
(3) Missouri Dollars in Play. This public-health crisis is taking place at the expense of Missourians.
The State of Missouri has paid millions of dollars—primarily through the State’s MO HealthNet
Medicaid program—for opioid prescriptions and the treatment of opioid addictions.
Additionally, numerous Missouri consumers, businesses, and insurers paid millions of dollars for opioid prescriptions and the treatment of opioid addictions.
(4) Opportunities to Heal Families and Communities. The drug manufacturing companies knew that the likely consequences of their actions would be that millions of individuals would become addicted to opioids and other drugs, which in turn would destroy countless families and communities across the nation and in Missouri. These families and communities deserve the opportunity to heal. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is going to do everything in its power to provide the resources necessary to begin this healing process.
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MO Attorney General Filed Suit Against Opioid Manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | KZRG
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit Wednesday against three large drug manufacturing companies. The suit was filed against Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. It’s alleged that these companies fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks of the drugs they manufacture. The lawsuit goes on to say that the misrepresentation resulted in thousands of patients being given unnecessary opioids prescriptions, often to treat chronic pain. Hawley says he will hold the drug manufacturing companies accountable for their actions so the healing process can begin for the families and communities affected by the opioid epidemic.
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Missouri AG files suit against 3 opioid manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | CNN
By Carma Hassan
(CNN)Missouri has filed suit against three pharmaceutical companies for allegedly violating the state's Medicare fraud and consumer-protection statutes by "misrepresenting the truth" about opioids, Attorney General Josh Hawley said Wednesday.
The companies named in the suit are Purdue Pharmaceutical, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
"These companies knew that the drugs they sell and market are highly addictive, even life-threatening if misused. And yet they have engaged in a deliberate campaign of fraud to convince Missouri doctors and Missouri consumers otherwise.
"They used bogus front organizations and fake research; they used fraudulent advertising and deceptive trade practices. And they repeatedly lied about the risks and true nature of the drugs they sold," Hawley said at a news conference. "Their fraud has been devastating."
States investigate opioid manufacturers
Hawley says 500 Missourians died of opioid overdoses or complications and 300 more died from heroin misuse in 2015.
"In 2012, physicians wrote some 259 million opiod prescriptions in the United States -- that's 10 million more prescriptions than there are adults living in the United States of America," he said.
Companies respond to lawsuit
Two of the three companies named in the suit commented on it Wednesday.
"While we vigorously deny the allegations in the complaint, we share the attorney general's concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions. OxyContin accounts for less than 2% of the opioid analgesic prescription market nationally, but we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology, advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naloxone -- all important components for combating the opioid crisis," Purdue Pharmaceuticals said in a statement.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals spokeswoman Jessica Castles Smith said the company recognizes that "opioid abuse is a serious public health issue. Janssen has acted appropriately, responsibly and in the best interests of patients regarding our opioid pain medications, which are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about the known risks of the medications on every product label."
A person at Endo Pharmaceuticals said that the company would be issuing a statement later.
Hawley was joined at the news conference by a mother who lost her teenage daughter to opioid addiction and a man recovering from opioid abuse.
Hawley said beyond "seeking one of the largest judgments in Missouri history," he wants to implement "anti-addiction programs and public awareness education" as well as "rehabilitation opportunities and job training."
Previous suits filed
The Missouri suit follows a filing by Ohio suing five drug companies, accusing them of fueling the opioid crisis there by misleading doctors about the risks of addiction.
In adddition to those actions, counties and cities across the country have begun filing lawsuits against manufacturers over their roles in the drug epidemic. In Cabell County, West Virginia a complaint was filed (PDF) earlier this month alleging that between 2007 and 2012, drug companies and distributors, including pharmacies such as Walgreen's and Rite Aid, sold nearly 40 million doses of prescription opiates such as hydrocodone and oxycodone to county pharmacies.
The county population during those years grew from just over 94,000 to just over 96,000 people. Similarly, nearby Kanawha County, West Virginia, filed a lawsuit (PDF) at the same time alleging the drug companies sold 66 million doses of these medications during the same time period when the county population ranged from about 191,000 to 192,000 residents."
Earlier this month several state attorneys general announced an initiative to investigate what role manufacturers may have played in contributing to the opioid epidemic.
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Hawley Sues Opioid Manufacturers
Jun 21, 2017 | Ozarks First
By Karen Libby
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The State of Missouri is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from three pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioid pain medications, alleging fraud.
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed the suit Wednesday in Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis. It accuses Purdeu Pharam, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals of
fraudulently misrepresenting the addictive risks of opioids.In a news release issued by his office, Hawley said “Our state faces an urgent public-health crisis brought on by fraud. These companies have profited from the suffering of Missourians.”
Hawley says the lawsuit claims the misrepresentations about the addictive nature of the drugs "resulted in thousands of patients being given unnecessary opioids prescriptions, often to treat chronic pain."
These companies have helped create an epidemic of drug abuse never been seen in Missouri history," Hawley said.
In 2015, medical records reveal more than 30,000 hospitalizations and emergency-room visits in Missouri because of opioids. That represents nearly a 200% increase over the last decade, according to numbers cited by Hawley's office.That same year, 2015, 500 people in Missouri died from opioid overdoses or complications. 300 more died from heroin, another drug commonly associated with opioid abuse.
"The opioid death rate in our state is 160% of the national average," Hawley said.http://static.lakana.com/nxsglobal/ozarksfirst/document_dev/2017/06/21/MO%20vs.%20Pharma%20Petition_1498062739078_23026308_ver1.0.pdf
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Missouri sues three opioid drug makers
Jun 21, 2017 | Consumer Affairs
By Mark Huffman
Missouri is the latest state to try to hold opioid drug manufacturers accountable for the widespread misuse of the drugs, to which many people are addicted.
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has sued Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, three large drug companies. The suit charges the companies engaged in fraud to misrepresent the serious risks associated with their products.
“Our state faces an urgent public-health crisis brought on by fraud," Hawley said. "These companies have profited from the suffering of Missourians."
The complaint accuses the three drug companies of carrying out a complex, multi-year campaign to deliberately misrepresent the addictive risks of opioids. As a result, the state says patients with chronic pain were often given the drugs without proper warning as to their addictive nature.
Near-record judgment sought
At an appearance after filing the suit, Hawley said the state is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from the defendants, and hundreds of millions more in civil penalties.
"We seek, in short, one of the largest judgments in Missouri history," Hawley said.
Citing 2015 statistics, the attorney general said there were more than 30,000 hospitalizations and emergency-room visits in the state linked to opioids. He said 500 Missourians died from opioid overdoses or complications.
"The opioid death rate in our state is 160% of the national average," Hawley said. "And it is rising."
The Missouri lawsuit follows a similar one filed in Ohio earlier this month. In addition to the three companies named in the Missouri action, Ohio is also suing Teva Pharmaceutical and its subsidiary Cephalon, and Allergan.
Last week a number of states announced they are joining forces determine whether pharmaceutical companies selling opioid drugs have violated laws. The investigation could result in further litigation.
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Missouri attorney general sues drug companies over opioids
Jun 21, 2017 | Newburgh Gazette
By Sheryl Bailey
The lawsuit, filed in state court by Attorney General Joshua Hawley, targets various parent companies and subsidiaries, including Purdue Pharma L.P., Johnson & Johnson and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a unit of Endo International PLC. "We are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from these drug companies, and hundreds of millions more in civil penalties", said Hawley. On Wednesday, Missouri's attorney general announced a lawsuit against three major drug manufacturers claiming that they fraudulently misrepresented the inherent risks posed by opioid painkillers. Other states have also sued pharmaceutical companies over the opioid crisis, starting with MS in 2015. Missouri's filing follows similar lawsuits from OH and MS, filed last month and in December 2015, respectively. Opioid painkillers have become the center of a national addiction epidemic. Janssen said in a statement that it acted appropriately and responsibly, adding that its opioid pain medications were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and carry mandated warnings about their known risks. Purdue, which manufactures OxyContin, said it denied the allegations but shared Hawley's concerns about the opioid crisis and was "committed to working collaboratively to find solutions". The lawsuit goes on to say that the misrepresentation resulted in thousands of patients being given unnecessary opioids prescriptions, often to treat chronic pain.
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Missouri Files Its Own Suit Against Opioid-Painkiller Producers
Jun 21, 2017 | Wall Street Journal
By Jeanne Whalen
Missouri became the latest state to file a lawsuit against opioid-painkiller companies, alleging they helped create an addiction crisis by misrepresenting the risks and benefits of their drugs.
The lawsuit, filed in state court by Attorney General Joshua Hawley, targets various parent companies and subsidiaries, including Purdue Pharma L.P., Johnson & Johnsonand Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a unit of Endo International PLC.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and punitive damages, saying opioid addiction and abuse have “destroyed the lives of countless Missourians and ravaged communities across the state.”
Missouri’s filing follows similar lawsuits from Ohio and Mississippi, filed last month and in December 2015, respectively.
In response to the Missouri lawsuit, Purdue said: “While we vigorously deny the allegations in the complaint, we share the attorney general’s concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions.”
Endo declined to comment on “current litigation,” but said its “top priorities include patient safety and ensuring that patients with chronic pain have access to safe and effective therapeutic options,” while “preventing misuse and diversion of opioid products.”
Johnson & Johnson said it “has acted appropriately, responsibly and in the best interests of patients regarding our opioid pain medications, which are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about the known risks of the medications on every product label.”
The Missouri lawsuit involves Purdue’s marketing of OxyContin, Endo’s marketing of Percocet and Opana ER, and Johnson & Johnson’s marketing of Duragesic and Nucynta ER.
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Kentucky AG Investigating Drug Manufacturers’ Influence On Opioid Crisis
Jun 21, 2017 | WFPL
By Lisa Gillespie
Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear announced on Wednesday that he is working with attorneys general from across the country to investigate whether drug manufacturers contributed to the opioid epidemic “by illegally marketing and selling opioids,” according to his office.
The action follows a suit filed in May by Ohio’s attorney general.
In Kentucky, there were more than 1,248 overdose deaths in the first half of 2016, a 25 percent increase from 2014.
“The single greatest threat to Kentucky is our drug epidemic,” Beshear said in a statement. “The crisis is killing our family and friends – this is the crisis of our times, and finding a solution requires everyone working together.”
Lawsuits have been filed against drug manufacturers and distributors in numerous other states and cities. Ohio’s lawsuit filed earlier this year is against Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon and Allergan. It alleges these drug companies misled doctors about the safety of prescription opioids.
Beshear’s office previously settled a lawsuit with Purdue Pharma over OxyContin. It provided $8 million from that settlement directly to 15 substance treatment centers throughout Kentucky.
From a different drug company settlement, Beshear’s office put $2 million toward expanding Rocket Docket programs that expedite drug cases and allow select defendants rapid access to substance abuse treatment.
Recently, Beshear joined a multi-state lawsuit alleging the maker of Suboxone, a drug used for treating opioid addiction, tried to monopolize the market.
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