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Opioids EOD 9/19/17

Traditional Media Coverage

Attorney General Becerra Calls For Answers From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | California OAG

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that California and 40 other states are expanding their investigation to seek information from additional pharmaceutical manufacturers and the three largest distributors of opioids to determine if the companies engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids.
Attorney General Laxalt And 40 Other Attorneys General Issue Investigative Subpoenas To Pharmaceutical Manufacturers And Distributers In National Opioid Investigation (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Nevada OAG

Carson City, NV -Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced a new step in his ongoing investigation with a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general to help address the opioid crisis in Nevada and around the country. In the wake of this investigation, AG Laxalt and other participating states have begun demanding documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors were engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
National Investigation Into Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors Expands (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Pennsylvania OAG

UPPER DUBLIN, PA - Surrounded by parents who have lost children to overdoses and local law enforcement, Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced a major expansion of investigations of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids that now involve 41 Attorneys General.
Multistate Investigations Seek Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Vermont OAG

Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country have expanded their demands for information and documents from both the manufacturers and the distributors of prescription opioid drugs.
Attorney General Chris Carr, Multistate Coalition To Seek Documents From Opioid Manufacturers (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Georgia OAG

ATLANTA, GA - Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general looking into the opioid epidemic is seeking documents and information from manufacturers of prescription opioids. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids. Currently, there are 41 attorneys general participating in the multistate investigation.
Attorney General Coffman Announces The Expansion Of The Investigation Into Leading Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Colorado OAG

Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and a bipartisan coalition of 41 Attorneys General demanded documents yesterday from the nation's leading opioid manufacturers and distributors, including information about their business practices related to the marketing, distribution and sale of opioids, as part of a national investigation into the causes of the opioid epidemic. The Attorneys General served investigative subpoenas on opioid manufacturers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals/Cephalon, Inc., Allergan plc, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental subpoena on Purdue Pharma. The Attorneys General also sent letters requesting documents and other information from the nation's largest opioid distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. Colorado is among the states leading the investigation of the manufacturers.
A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN, BIPARTISAN COALITION OF AGS EXPAND MULTISTATE INVESTIGATION INTO OPIOID CRISIS (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | New York OAG

NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country has demanded information and documents from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs, part of a multistate investigation into whether the companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids.
AG Marshall Among 41 Attorneys General Seeking Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Alabama OAG

(MONTGOMERY) - Attorney General Steve Marshall announced he is part of a bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general seeking documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic.
Attorney General Herring Seeks Documents Related to Opioid Crisis (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Virginia OAG

RICHMOND (September 19, 2017) - Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced that a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is seeking documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the opioid epidemic.
AG Kilmartin Announces Multistate Investigations Seeking Documents from Opioid Manufacturers and Distributions (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Rhode Island OAG

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general seeks documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. There are 41 attorneys general participating in the multistate investigations.
ATTORNEY GENERAL MADIGAN ANNOUNCES INVESTIGATIONS OF MORE OPIOID MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Illinois OAG

Chicago - Attorney General Lisa Madigan today joined with a coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country to announce their expanded investigations into manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs.
AG Paxton: 41-State Investigation Requests Documents From Companies That Manufacture And Distribute Highly Addictive Opioid Drugs (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Texas OAG

As part of an ongoing investigation into the nation's opioid epidemic, Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that Texas and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other states served investigative subpoenas and additional requests on eight companies that manufacture or distribute highly addictive painkillers.
Tennessee Led Coalition Seeks Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)
Sep 19, 2017 | Tennessee OAG

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General seeks documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic. This information will enable the Attorneys General to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. Tennessee is leading the group of 41 Attorneys General participating in the multistate investigations.
BRIEF-NY A.G. Schneiderman, coalition of AGs expand investigation into opioid crisis
Sep 19, 2017 | Reuters

* New York A.G. Schneiderman, bipartisan coalition of AGs expand multistate investigation into opioid crisis
Schneiderman Calls for Investigation into Opioid Crisis
Sep 19, 2017 | WBEN
By Tom Puckett

New York, NY (WBEN) A bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general are demanding information and documents from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs, part of a multistate investigation into whether the companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids. One of them is NY's attorney general Eric Schneiderman.
AG names targets in national probe of opioid makers
Sep 19, 2017 | ABC 27 News
By Myles Snyder

Pennsylvania’s attorney general says eight drug makers and distributors are the targets of a multi-state investigation into the sale and marketing of prescription opioids.
PA part of national investigation into opioid manufacturers and distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Fox 43
By Staff

Surrounded by parents who have lost children to overdoses and local law enforcement, Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced a major expansion of investigations of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids that now involve 41 Attorneys General. “To any parent, family or friend of someone lost to addiction, we hear you,” Attorney General Shapiro said at a news conference at an Upper Dublin High School athletic field in Montgomery County. “I’m announcing today a major step forward in our investigation into the manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of opioids – a class of drugs so dangerous the Centers for Disease Control warns they are “just as addictive as heroin.’”
Paxton makes moves against Companies that Manufacture and Distribute Highly Addictive Opioid Drugs
Sep 19, 2017 | Greenville Extra
By Staff

As part of an ongoing investigation into the nation’s opioid epidemic, Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that Texas and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other states served investigative subpoenas and additional requests on eight companies that manufacture or distribute highly addictive painkillers.
Tennessee-Led Coalition Seeks Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | The Chattanoogan
By Staff

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III on Tuesday announced a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General seeks documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. Tennessee is leading the group of 41 attorneys general participating in the multi-state investigations.
Schuette opens investigation into opioid manufacturers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | WLUC (MI)
By Staff

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced he is moving forward with an investigation of both the manufacturers and the distributors of prescription opioid drugs alongside a bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general. The coalition has demanded detailed information and documents from both the manufacturers and the distributors.
Schneiderman announces results of national opioid investigation
Sep 19, 2017 | Times Union (NY)
By Staff

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country has demanded information and documents from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs.
State AGs gang up on opioid makers, 41 now in coalition
Sep 19, 2017 | Seeking Alpha
By Douglas W. House

Realizing a golden opportunity to extract money from corporations, 41 state attorneys general have expanded their investigations into alleged misleading marketing by drug firms aimed at boosting sales of prescription opioid medications and contributing greatly to the opioid addiction crisis.
Healey expands investigation of opioid makers
Sep 19, 2017 | Eagle Tribune (North Boston Media Group)
By Christian M. Wade

BOSTON — Attorney General Maura Healey is widening her investigation of opioid manufacturers, as part of a probe that already involves the top prosecutors of 39 states.
Iowa expands investigation into prescription-drug companies' roles in addiction epidemic
Sep 19, 2017 | The Des Moines Register
By Tony Leys

Iowa’s attorney general is joining most of his colleagues in demanding documents from eight major manufacturers or distributors of prescription painkillers, as part of an investigation into their roles in the nation’s drug-addiction epidemic.
Alabama AG joins 40 other Attorneys General seeking info from opioid manufacturers
Sep 19, 2017 | WHNT 19 News
By David Kumbroch

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general is pushing opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of a “multistate investigation into the nationwide opioid epidemic.” Alabama’s Steve Marshall is part of that effort.
The only thing Trump is doing to end the opioid crisis rewards the companies that started it (OPINION)
Sep 19, 2017 | Business Insider
By Linette Lopez

A month after he said he would, President Trump has yet to declare the opioid epidemic a national crisis.
States expand investigation of opioid makers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | 6 ABC (WPVI)

Attorneys general from dozens of states, including Pennsylvania, are broadening their investigation into the opioid industry as a nationwide overdose crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.
TN Attorney General Slatery leading coalition of states demanding documents from opioid manufacturers
Sep 19, 2017 | Times Free Press
By Andy Sher

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery today announced a Tennessee-led bipartisan coalition of the nation's state attorney generals who are now demanding documents and other information from opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of multi-state investigations into the national painkiller epidemic.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery today announced a Tennessee-led bipartisan coalition of the nation's state attorney generals who are now demanding documents and other information from opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of multi-state
Sep 19, 2017 | Fox 17 Nashville
By Adrian Mojica

A bipartisan coalition consisting of 41 Attorneys General and led by the state of Tennessee is requesting documents from opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Tennessee leads opioid investigation as number of overdoses continue to rise
Sep 19, 2017 | News3 WREG Memphis
By Erin Taylor

Tennessee is leading the way in a multi-state investigation into the manufacturing and distribution of opioids across the United States.
Pa. firms among those targeted in opioid probe
Sep 19, 2017 | Central Penn Business Journal
By Roger DuPuis

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has disclosed the names of pharmaceutical companies under investigation as part of a multi-state probe into the manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
5 drug manufacturers, 3 distributors now in sights of investigation by attorneys general, including Maura Healey
Sep 19, 2017 | Massachusetts Live
By Shira Schoenberg

Five drug manufacturers and three drug distributors are now under review in a joint investigation by dozens of attorneys general around the nation into whether pharmaceutical companies misrepresented the dangers of prescription painkillers and ignored the public health risks of opioids.
AG targets drug makers as part of opiate probe
Sep 19, 2017 | Boston Herald
By Matt Stout

Attorney General Maura Healey said her office, along with dozens of other state attorneys general, is now honing in on more than a half-dozen manufacturers and distributors as part of a probe into opioid marketing, including pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma and several distributors.
Colorado attorney general and counterparts widen probe into opioid manufacturers and distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Denver Post
By Jesse Paul

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and more than three dozen of her counterparts have widened their probe into what role opioid manufacturers and distributors might have played in sparking the U.S. prescription pain medication and heroin epidemic.
The coalition of 41 attorneys general has served subpoenas on opioid manufacturers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals/Cephalon, Inc., Allergan PLC, and their related entities, Coffman's office announced Tuesday. A suppleme
Sep 19, 2017 | Tennessean (USA Today Network)
By Holly Fletcher

Tennessee's attorney general is spearheading a coalition of 41 states that is demanding documents from several prescription painkiller manufacturers and distributors as it investigates the companies' practices regarding opioids.
Opioid manufacturers, distributors subpoenaed by New York AG, 40 other states
Sep 19, 2017 | AM New York
By Matthew Chayes

Attorneys general of 41 states, including New York, have subpoenaed opioid manufacturers and distributors in an investigation into whether the companies are responsible for addiction among users of the drugs.
Attorney General Becerra Calls For Answers from Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Highland Community News

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that California and 40 other states are expanding their investigation to seek information from additional pharmaceutical manufacturers and the three largest distributors of opioids to determine if the companies engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids.
States expand investigation of opioid makers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | The Courier (OH)

Attorneys general from most states are broadening their investigation into the opioid industry as a nationwide overdose crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.
States expand investigation of opioid makers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Associated Press

Attorneys general from most states are broadening their investigation into the opioid industry as a nationwide overdose crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.
Group of attorneys general from 41 states launches probe of drug companies in fight against opioid epidemic
Sep 19, 2017 | NY Daily News
By Ginger Adams Otis

A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from 41 states announced a new weapon Tuesday in the fight against America’s opioid crisis: a multistate investigation into drug makers and marketers.
Amid opioid investigation, Texas and other states demand drug company documents
Sep 19, 2017 | The Texas Tribune
By Jim Malewitz

As communities nationwide grapple with opioid addiction, Texas and a coalition of 40 other states has served investigative subpoenas and other requests to eight companies that manufacture or distribute prescription painkillers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday.
S.C. attorney general joins 40 other states in demanding evidence from opioid distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Charleston City Paper
By Dustin Waters

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined top attorneys in 40 other states in requesting that distributors of prescription opioids hand over documents detailing the companies’ marketing and sales practices.
Subpeonas served to opioid producers in national investigation
Sep 19, 2017 | The Intelligencer
By Christopher Ullery

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday that several pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors were served with subpoenas Monday as part of a national investigation into the country's opioid abuse crisis.
Eric Schneiderman: States subpoena opioid makers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Newsday
By Matthew Chayes

Attorneys general of 41 states including New York have subpoenaed opioid manufacturers and distributors in an investigation into whether the companies are responsible for addiction among users of the drugs.
Maura Healey Expands Opioid Manufacturer Investigation
Sep 19, 2017 | Boston Magazine
By Jaime Ducharme

Attorney General Maura Healey is expanding an investigation into dubious practices at major opioid manufacturers and distributors, in hopes of uncovering the truth about their possible role in creating or perpetuating the opioid crisis.
Opioid manufacturers, distributors, target of 41-state probe
Sep 19, 2017 | Pennsylvania Live
By Steve Marroni

Pennsylvania's attorney general today announced an expansion of a major investigation into the manufactuers and distributors of prescription opioids.
Why AGs are targeting drug companies
Sep 19, 2017 | USA Today (Albany Bureau)
By Natasha Vaughn

ALBANY -- Attorneys general across the country are demanding information from pharmaceutical companies in an ongoing investigation into prescription drug abuse.
Hawai‘i Part of Multi-State Investigation Into Opioid Epidemic
| Maui Now

Hawai‘i has joined a bipartisan coalition of states seeking documents and information today from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids.
Amid opioid investigation, Texas and other states demand drug company documents
Sep 19, 2017 | The Eagle
By Jim Malewitz

As communities nationwide grapple with opioid addiction, Texas and a coalition of 40 other states has served investigative subpoenas and other requests to eight companies that manufacture or distribute prescription painkillers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday.
AGs subpoena big pharma over opioid overdose crisis
Sep 19, 2017 | Newstimes (CT)
By Rob Ryser

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and his counterparts in 39 other states have subpoenaed company records from Stamford-based Purdue Pharma and other major drug makers to determine whether the companies’ marketing and sales practices are worsening the nationwide overdose crisis.
A.G. Schneiderman, bipartisan coalition of A.G.s expand investigation into opioid crisis
Sep 19, 2017 | CNY Central
By Daniel Wohler

NEW YORK — A bipartisan coalition composed of 41 attorneys general from across the country, is demanding information from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs.
Hawai‘i Joins Investigation Into Opioid Epidemic
Sep 19, 2017 | Big Island Now
By Staff

Hawai‘i has joined a bipartisan coalition of states seeking documents and information today from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids.
Texas, 40 other states join coalition to investigate U.S. opioid epidemic
Sep 19, 2017 | CW 39 News Fix
By Staff

AUSTIN, Texas – As part of an ongoing investigation into the nation’s opioid epidemic, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that Texas and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other states served investigative subpoenas and additional requests on eight companies that manufacture or distribute highly addictive painkillers.
41 States To Investigate Pharmaceutical Companies Over Opioids
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State Attorney General subpoenas opioid manufacturers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Franklin Home Page
By Sarah Grace Taylor

Tennessee, in conjunction with a 41-state coalition against opioids, filed subpoenas with eight opioid manufacturers and distributors on Tuesday.
Healey, other AGs expand opioid probe to include drugmakers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | Boston Globe
By Felice J. Freyer

Attorney General Maura Healey, along with attorneys general from 38 other states, is seeking information from five opioid manufacturers and three distributors as they expand an investigation into the origins of the addiction crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.
Bipartisan coalition of attorneys general form to fight opioid epidemic nationwide
Sep 19, 2017 | WXXi News
By Caitlyn White

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a bipartisan coalition to investigate major opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Dozens of states probe role of drug makers and distributors in the opioid crisis
Sep 19, 2017 | STAT News - Pharmalot
By Ed Silverman

A bipartisan group of 41 attorneys general are demanding information and documents from several drug makers and distributors as part of a large-scale probe into the role these companies may have played in the opioid crisis
Attorney General Cynthia Coffman joins expanded probe into opioid manufacturers, distributors
Sep 19, 2017 | The Colorado Gazette
By Ernest Luning

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is part of a broad coalition of attorneys general demanding information from opioid manufacturers and distributers as part of a multi-state investigation into the causes of the painkiller epidemic, her office said Tuesday.

Broadcast Media Coverage

NBC 10 News at 4pm
Sep 19, 2017 | WCAU (NBC)
By Philadelphia, PA

Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29469032?token=ddb81535-37d9-4234-a05e-16f674c50a4e
WRAL News at 4PM
Sep 19, 2017 | WRAL (NBC)
By Raleigh-Durham, NC

Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29469035?token=ddb81535-37d9-4234-a05e-16f674c50a4e
KSTC 45 News Morning at 8am
Sep 19, 2017 | KSTC (KSTC)
By Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN

Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29469045?token=ddb81535-37d9-4234-a05e-16f674c50a4e
KCRA 3 News at 10am
Sep 19, 2017 | KCRA (MNT)
By Sacramento, CA

Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29469051?token=ddb81535-37d9-4234-a05e-16f674c50a4e

Traditional Media Coverage

Attorney General Becerra Calls For Answers From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | California OAG

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that California and 40 other states are expanding their investigation to seek information from additional pharmaceutical manufacturers and the three largest distributors of opioids to determine if the companies engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids.
Opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths nationwide in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. In 2015, California had the third most deaths, with nearly 2,000 Californians losing their lives due to overdose related to opioid use.
'The opioid crisis is devastating our communities. This multistate investigation aims to determine what role drug companies may have played in furthering this crisis,' said Attorney General Becerra. 'With so many of my colleagues in other states partnering in this investigation, I look forward to getting answers that will help us attack some of the root causes of and those responsible for the opioid crisis.'
The Attorneys General served written requests for documents and information, known as civil investigative demands, on pharmaceutical manufacturers Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities. They also served a supplemental civil investigative demand on Purdue Pharma. Further, the Attorneys General sent letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson seeking documents pertaining to their opioid distribution business.
Attorney General Becerra is committed to protecting the safety and health of families and consumers in California. In June, Attorney General Becerra announced that a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general was investigating opioid manufacturers' potential role in creating or prolonging the opioid epidemic. Last year, the Office of the Attorney General sued a pharmaceutical company for inflating prices for opioid addiction treatment. The California Department of Justice also maintains California's prescription drug monitoring program, CURES 2.0, which allows health providers and pharmacists to flag at-risk patients and curb prescription drug abuse.

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Attorney General Laxalt And 40 Other Attorneys General Issue Investigative Subpoenas To Pharmaceutical Manufacturers And Distributers In National Opioid Investigation (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Nevada OAG

Carson City, NV -Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced a new step in his ongoing investigation with a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general to help address the opioid crisis in Nevada and around the country. In the wake of this investigation, AG Laxalt and other participating states have begun demanding documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors were engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
Thus far, participating attorneys general have served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, also known as Civil Investigative Demands, on prescription opioid manufacturers Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma. Additionally, the coalition has sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution businesses.
'My office is continuing to combat this opioid crisis on several fronts,' said Laxalt. 'By issuing subpoenas, my office has taken another significant step in the ongoing investigation into the business practices of opioid manufacturers and distributors. As this investigation progresses, I will continue to work to enhance law enforcement efforts and promote prevention in Nevada.'
Opioid abuse and misuse results in behavioral and biological health issues that affect individuals, families and communities, and costs the United States more than $740 billion in crime, lost work productivity and health care each year. Nationwide and in Nevada, opioids-prescription and illicit-are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 nationwide deaths in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. In 2016, Nevada was ranked as the sixth highest state for the number of milligrams of opioids distributed per adult according to a study by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Though the individual states participating in this investigation will not be identified at this time, the coalition of attorneys general are using these investigative tools to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging this epidemic and determine the appropriate course of action to help resolve this crisis.
On September 25, 2017, AG Laxalt will give a presentation at Governor Sandoval's Opioid State Action Accountability Taskforce concerning upcoming opioid related initiatives that are consistent with the recommendations made within Governor Sandoval's Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit and Statewide Plan.
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National Investigation Into Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors Expands (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Pennsylvania OAG

UPPER DUBLIN, PA - Surrounded by parents who have lost children to overdoses and local law enforcement, Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced a major expansion of investigations of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids that now involve 41 Attorneys General.
'To any parent, family or friend of someone lost to addiction, we hear you,' Attorney General Shapiro said at a news conference at an Upper Dublin High School athletic field in Montgomery County. 'I'm announcing today a major step forward in our investigation into the manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of opioids - a class of drugs so dangerous the Centers for Disease Control warns they are 'just as addictive as heroin.''
Nationwide and in Pennsylvania, opioids are the main driver of fatal drug overdoses. Pennsylvania had 4,642 fatal drug overdoses in 2016 - a 37 percent increase over 2015. Thirteen Pennsylvanians die every day from overdoses. Eighty percent of persons suffering from heroin addiction began by abusing prescription drugs.
A total of 7.3 million opioid prescription drugs were dispensed in Pennsylvania last year.
Today, Attorney General Shapiro and a bipartisan group of Attorneys General from coast to coast disclosed new details of the progress of their coordinated investigation of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids:
Identifying the opioid manufacturers under investigation [Attachment]Endo International, maker of drugs like Opana and PercocetJanssen Pharmaceuticals, maker of opioids such as Duragesic, a fentanyl patchTeva PharmaceuticalIndustries and its US subsidiary Cephalon Inc., which manufactures many generic opioids and drugs such as Actiq, a fentanyl lollipopAllergan Inc., maker of opioids like KadianPurdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin
Shapiro said the attorneys general are seeking documents and information about business practices from companies responsible for distributing nearly 90 percent of the nation's opioids.
Identifying the opioid distributors under investigationAmerisourceBergenCardinal HealthMcKesson
The Attorneys General have served subpoenas for documents and information - known as Civil Investigative Demands - on the pharmaceutical manufacturers. The multistate investigation has also sent information demand letters to the distributors under investigation.
'This multi-state group of attorneys general is the best public-interest law firm in America, and the attorneys in the Public Protection Division of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General are at the helm of this national investigation,' Attorney General Shapiro said.
'We have the resources, expertise and legal authority to take on this fight, and we aren't letting up,' Shapiro said. 'We're following the evidence wherever it leads so we can change behavior and save lives. Make no mistake: if the law was broken, this team will find it, and we will take action to change the course of this epidemic.'
These actions represent a dramatic expansion and coordination by 41 Attorneys General into the nationwide epidemic. While some states and municipalities have taken individual legal actions, the overwhelming majority of the country's Attorneys General, from both parties and all parts of the country, have agreed to work together to investigate the marketing distribution and sale of opioids, and to take coordinated legal action as appropriate.
'As we have shown in other cases, broad, bipartisan coalitions of attorneys general can impact national problems through litigation and settlements - more effectively at times than when acting alone,' Shapiro said. 'This epidemic is a national problem requiring a coordinated response to make the citizens of our states safer and to hold the appropriate parties accountable.'
Shapiro was joined at today's news conference by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Hatboro Police Chief Jim Gardner, and Candy Decker, whose son, John, a scholastic lacrosse star, became addicted to prescription painkillers following a sports injury, gravitated to heroin, and suffered a fatal overdose. Joe Lubowitz, an Upper Dublin graduate in long-term recovery from addiction who works as an advocate, attended, along with a crowd of other advocates and persons in long-term recovery.
'A group of most of the attorneys general in this country, working together to investigate the pharmaceutical industry's role in this epidemic, is a key component to achieve lasting solutions that work and help our citizens,' District Attorney Steele said.
'As I promised the day I took office in January, we are confronting this epidemic on our street corners, in doctors' offices and hospitals, and now - in the boardrooms of pharmaceutical companies,' Attorney General Shapiro said. 'We will follow the facts and the law, without fear or favor, and hold the responsible persons and companies accountable for the tragic loss of life and damage suffered by so many families across our Commonwealth.'
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Multistate Investigations Seek Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Vermont OAG

Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country have expanded their demands for information and documents from both the manufacturers and the distributors of prescription opioid drugs.
Recent efforts by the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general represent an expansion into the investigation of the nationwide opioid epidemic. A clear majority of the states' chief legal officers are now pooling resources and coordinating across party lines to address the most pressing public health crisis affecting our country, and doing so with a broad focus on multiple entities at both the manufacturer and distributor levels.
The multi-state investigation by the attorneys general currently includes the following pharmaceutical manufacturers and their related entities:Purdue PharmaEndo International plcJanssen PharmaceuticalsTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc.Allergan Inc.
The attorneys general are also seeking documents and information about distribution practices from the following opioid distribution companies, who together manage approximately 90 percent of the nation's opioid distribution:AmerisourceBergenCardinal HealthMcKesson
Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan said, 'The opioid crisis has been a top priority since my first day in office. I have long advocated for greater tools for prevention, intervention, treatment, and enforcement in addressing this crisis. Corporate accountability is equally important and I intend to work with attorneys general across this country to perform a thorough investigation and protect Vermonters.'
There are 41 attorneys general participating in the overall multistate investigations, which are organized into subgroups focusing on manufacturers and distributors. Vermont is taking a leadership role in two subgroups focusing on opioid manufacturers and is also participating with respect to the investigation of distributors.
Opioids - both prescription and illicit - are the main driver of drug overdose deaths nationwide and in Vermont. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths nationwide in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. In Vermont, there were 106 opioid related deaths last year, a record high. Seventy-five people died of opiate overdoses in Vermont during 2015.

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Attorney General Chris Carr, Multistate Coalition To Seek Documents From Opioid Manufacturers (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Georgia OAG

ATLANTA, GA - Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general looking into the opioid epidemic is seeking documents and information from manufacturers of prescription opioids. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids. Currently, there are 41 attorneys general participating in the multistate investigation.
'Between 1999 and 2015, more than 560,000 people in this country died due to drug overdoses - a death toll larger than the entire population of the city of Atlanta,' said Attorney General Chris Carr. 'Opioids are the prime contributor to this national emergency, and we are prepared to communicate with all industries to review, investigate and eliminate any practices that may have led to this epidemic. We owe it to Georgians to get to the bottom of this crisis, and we look forward to learning more on their behalf.'
The group of attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information to Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand to Purdue Pharma.

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Attorney General Coffman Announces The Expansion Of The Investigation Into Leading Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Colorado OAG

Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and a bipartisan coalition of 41 Attorneys General demanded documents yesterday from the nation's leading opioid manufacturers and distributors, including information about their business practices related to the marketing, distribution and sale of opioids, as part of a national investigation into the causes of the opioid epidemic. The Attorneys General served investigative subpoenas on opioid manufacturers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals/Cephalon, Inc., Allergan plc, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental subpoena on Purdue Pharma. The Attorneys General also sent letters requesting documents and other information from the nation's largest opioid distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. Colorado is among the states leading the investigation of the manufacturers.
'The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on millions of families across the country, and Colorado has certainly not been immune to this crisis,' said Attorney General Coffman. 'The scourge of opioid addiction has impacted every corner of our state. Our doctors, nurses, and first responders have been working tirelessly, oftentimes in dangerous circumstances, to save those battling addiction. Our nonprofits and government agencies have been fighting an uphill battle to help those trapped in the cycle of addiction. And our churches and schools have been shouldering a heavy burden helping to console, counsel, and educate those who've lost loved ones, including the children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to this to this deadly epidemic.'
'There is no magic bullet to solve this crisis, but I am committed to working with partners throughout Colorado and the country to find a solution. This investigation is another step in a continuing effort by my office to help those impacted by opioid addiction and to hold accountable those who contributed to this epidemic in violation of Colorado law.'
Nationwide and in Colorado, opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Sales of prescription opioids in the U.S. nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2014. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in more than 33,000 deaths in 2016, including 300 deaths from prescribed opioids in Colorado. Prior to the 1990s, opioids were rarely prescribed to treat pain, and now it is estimated that as many as 200 million opioid prescriptions are written each year in the U.S. The Attorneys General are investigating whether any illegal conduct by the opioid manufacturers or distributors contributed to this surge in opioid prescriptions.
Attorney General Coffman chairs the Colorado Substance Abuse Trend and Response Task Force, which worked this year with multiple partners, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, to produce the groundbreaking Heroin in Colorado report. The report was focused on examining the scope of the heroin crisis in Colorado and evaluating potential areas in need of critical response. A copy of that report can be found at http://www.corxconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/Heroin-in-Colorado-FINAL-April-2017.pdf.
Attorney General Coffman has also lead the highly successful Colorado Naloxone for Life Initiative, which is a statewide partnership to save lives with the opioid overdose reversal medication, Naloxone, by providing training and access to the medication to law enforcement agencies and first responders across Colorado. To date, the program has reported more than 220 overdose reversals since January of 2017. More information about the program can be found at https://coag.gov/press-room/press-releases/09-19-16.
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CONTACT
Annie Skinner
Colorado Attorney General's Office
720-508-6553 or Annie.skinner@coag.gov

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A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN, BIPARTISAN COALITION OF AGS EXPAND MULTISTATE INVESTIGATION INTO OPIOID CRISIS (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | New York OAG

NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country has demanded information and documents from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs, part of a multistate investigation into whether the companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids.
The investigative subpoenas and document requests, which were served yesterday, mark a major expansion of the investigations by the Attorneys General into the nationwide opioid epidemic. A large, bipartisan coalition of states' chief legal officers are now pooling resources to address the most pressing public health crisis affecting the country, and doing so with a broad focus on multiple entities at both the manufacturer and distributor levels.
'Too often, prescription opioids are the on-ramp to addiction for millions of Americans,' said Attorney General Schneiderman. 'We're committed to getting to the bottom of a broken system that has fueled the epidemic and taken far too many lives. New Yorkers whose families have been torn apart by the opioid crisis deserve to know if the industry put its bottom line ahead of patient safety. My office is committed to using every tool at our disposal to curb the epidemic and get those affected by it the help they need and the justice they deserve.'
The attorneys general served subpoenas on the following pharmaceutical manufacturers and their related entities:Endo International plcJanssen PharmaceuticalsTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc.Allergan Inc.
The attorneys general have also served a supplemental investigative subpoena on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general also demanded documents and information about distribution practices from the following opioid distribution companies, who together manage approximately 90 percent of the nation's opioid distribution:AmerisourceBergenCardinal HealthMcKesson
Opioid distributors alone make nearly $500 billion a year in revenue.
Opioids - both prescription and illicit - are the main driver of drug overdose deaths nationwide and in New York. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015 - including 2,754 in New York -and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. Drug overdoses account for a large percentage of deaths among New Yorkers between 15 and 44 years of age - accounting for a stunning 41 percent of deaths in Sullivan County, 37 percent in Erie County, and 32 percent in Nassau County, according to an analysis conducted by the New York Times.
Since taking office, Attorney General Schneiderman has launched a multi-levered strategy to tackle New York's evolving opioid epidemic, including:Obtaining settlements with major domestic and global health insurers includingCigna, Anthem, and Empire BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS), which insure over 4 million New Yorkers, to remove barriers to life-saving treatment for opioid use disorder. The agreementsput an end to the insurers' policy of requiring prior authorization for medication-assisted treatment ('MAT'), which can lead to significant delays for patients seeking relief from addiction.Creating the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act ('I-STOP), a series of enhancements to New York's prescription drug monitoring program that provide doctors with patient's up-to-date controlled substance prescription history and established a safe disposal program providing a place for New Yorkers to get rid of expired and unneeded drugs-thus reducing the likelihood of stolen and forged prescriptions being used to obtain controlled substances from pharmacies. I-STOP reduced 'doctor shopping,' a practice in which an individual attempts to obtain the same or similar prescriptions from multiple physicians, by 90% since 2014.Launching the Community Overdose Prevention ('COP') program, a life-saving initiative that enabled state and local law-enforcement officers in the state of New York to carry naloxone, the extremely effective heroin antidote that can immediately reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Since the program's implementation in April 2014, more than 100 overdoses were reversedusing kits provided by the COP program, which distributed over 27,000 kits across the state.Obtaining an agreement with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to cut and cap the price of naloxone for all agencies in New York State, reducing the price of naloxone by nearly 20 percent.Enforcing Mental Health Parity Lawsto reach agreements with health insurance companies, requiring them to implement sweeping reforms in their administration of behavioral health benefits, in particular relating to medical management practices, coverage of residential treatment for substance abuse, and co-pays for outpatient treatment, and to submit regular compliance reports. The agreements ultimately provided over $2 million in restitution for members whose claims for were improperly denied.Successfully prosecuting more than ten licensed prescribers including operators of 'pill mills' and other unlawful practices for crimes related to improper opioid prescriptions.Cracking down on drug trafficking networks that traffic opioids into communities around the state. The Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) has now taken down 25 large drug trafficking gangs, made more than 580 felony narcotics arrests, and seized more than $1.5 million and more than 2,000 pounds of illegal drugs since 2011. In the past several months alone, Attorney General Schneiderman's SURGE (Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic) Initiative has resulted in 260 alleged traffickers and dealers taken off the streets.Urging health insurance companies to review their coverage and payment policies that contribute to the opioid epidemic, as well as sending letters to the country's three largest pharmacy benefit managers requesting documents, data, and other information regarding how they are addressing the opioid crisis.
The investigation is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Carol Hunt, Christopher Leung, and Sara Mark of the Health Care Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lisa Landau, and Counsel to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Jay Speers and Special Assistant Attorneys General Kathryn Harris and Elizabeth Kappakas of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, under the supervision of Director Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Paul J. Mahoney.

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AG Marshall Among 41 Attorneys General Seeking Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Alabama OAG

(MONTGOMERY) - Attorney General Steve Marshall announced he is part of a bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general seeking documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic.
'Opioid abuse has reached a crisis level in Alabama and in many portions of the country, and earlier this year I joined with fellow attorneys general in investigating what role opioid manufacturers may have had in creating or prolonging the opioid abuse epidemic, and to establish the appropriate course of action to help solve this crisis,' Attorney General Marshall said. 'Our investigation continues as we seek information from drug manufacturers and distributors to help determine whether they engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids.'
The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, also known as Civil Investigative Demands, on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma. The attorneys general also sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.
Nationwide and in Alabama, opioids-prescription and illicit-are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015 including 736 in Alabama, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999.
On August 8, 2017, Attorney General Marshall was appointed by Governor Kay Ivey to co-chair the newly-created Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. The Council, which held its organizational meeting in the Alabama Attorney General's Office on September 5, will examine the state's opioid crisis and identify ways to reduce its harmful impact on Alabamians.
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Attorney General Herring Seeks Documents Related to Opioid Crisis (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Virginia OAG

RICHMOND (September 19, 2017) - Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced that a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is seeking documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the opioid epidemic.
This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. Attorney General Herring and a bipartisan group of 40 other state attorneys general are participating in the multistate investigations.

Nationwide and in Virginia, opioids - prescription and illicit - are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths nationwide in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled nationally since 1999.

"We lost over 1,100 Virginians to the opioid crisis just last year, and everyone has a responsibility to do what they can to ensure we don't lose another life to this devastating epidemic," said Attorney General Mark Herring. "I'm proud to help lead this bipartisan investigation into the culpability of opioid manufacturers in creating, sustaining and extending the opioid epidemic, and I'm glad to see it move forward. I will continue my ongoing efforts to combat this crisis and help save lives in Virginia."

The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, also known as Civil Investigative Demands, on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma. Likewise, the attorneys general sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.

Attorney General Herring and his fellow state attorneys general are using these investigative tools to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging this epidemic and determine the appropriate course of action to help resolve this crisis.

Attorney General Herring has made combating the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic a top priority, attacking the problem with a multifaceted approach that includes enforcement, education, prevention, and legislation to encourage reporting of overdoses in progress, expand the availability of naloxone, and expand access to the Prescription Monitoring Program. He has supported federal efforts to improve the availability of treatment and recovery resources and made prescription drug disposal kits available across the commonwealth.Attorney General Herring recently outlined his recommended next steps for combating the crisis, focusing on law enforcement initiatives, support from the medical community, and recovery, treatment, prevention and education.

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AG Kilmartin Announces Multistate Investigations Seeking Documents from Opioid Manufacturers and Distributions (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Rhode Island OAG

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general seeks documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. There are 41 attorneys general participating in the multistate investigations.
Nationwide and in Rhode Island, opioids - prescription and illicit - are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015. In Rhode Island, 336 individuals died from drug overdoses last year.
"We know all too well the devastation and loss from the opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose crisis in this country. It tears families apart and results all too often in death. This epidemic did not start in a vacuum, and we must look at every aspect of the supply chain – starting with the manufacturers and distributors - to determine how we got here in order to effectively solve the epidemic," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "We need to know if and to what level the manufacturers and distributors are responsible for this epidemic and the needless loss of life."
Today's announcement represents a dramatic expansion and coordination of the investigations by the attorneys general into the nationwide opioid epidemic. A clear majority of the states' chief legal officers are now pooling resources and coordinating across party lines to address the most pressing public health crisis affecting our country, and doing so with a broad focus on multiple entities at both the manufacturer and distributor levels.
Attorney General Kilmartin is on the executive committee of the multistate investigations, which are organized into subgroups focusing on manufacturers and distributors. Rhode Island is taking a leadership role in the subgroup focusing on opioid distributors and is also participating with respect to the investigation of manufacturers.
The investigations by the attorneys general is now targeting the following pharmaceutical manufacturers and their related entities: • Endo International plc • Janssen Pharmaceuticals • Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc. • Allergan Inc.
A previously announced investigation by a coalition of attorneys general focused exclusively on Purdue Pharma. In addition to extending the investigation to these additional manufacturers, the attorneys general have also served a supplemental investigative demand on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general are also seeking documents and information about distribution practices from the following opioid distribution companies, who together manage approximately 90 percent of the nation's opioid distribution: • AmerisourceBergen • Cardinal Health • McKesson
In civil investigative demand letters sent to the manufacturers and distributors, the attorneys general gave the companies until October 18, 2017 to provide a series of documents. The attorneys general are using these investigative tools to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging this epidemic and determine the appropriate course of action to help resolve this crisis.
"Rhode Island has been in the eye of the storm since this crisis began, which is why I believe it is important for this office to take a leadership role into these investigations," added Kilmartin. "We will pursue every bit of information and scrap of evidence, and if we find any violations of law or culpability by the manufacturers and distributors, we will bring all our resources to bear to hold these companies accountable for their role in this deadly epidemic."
"As I have said time and time again, it is my sincere belief that to truly address substance use disorders and the overdose epidemic that is shattering the lives of families across our state, we must employ a comprehensive legal and public health strategy that includes criminal and civil consequences for those who peddle these drugs knowing the lethal consequences, educating the public on the dangers of substance use, and to provide the necessary services and treatment for those suffering from this disease," concluded Kilmartin.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL MADIGAN ANNOUNCES INVESTIGATIONS OF MORE OPIOID MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Illinois OAG

Chicago - Attorney General Lisa Madigan today joined with a coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country to announce their expanded investigations into manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs.
Madigan and the coalition served subpoenas requesting information from opioid manufacturers and distributors to evaluate whether these companies engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids. The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas to pharmaceutical companies, including Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities. The attorneys general also served a supplemental subpoena on Purdue Pharma. In addition to the subpoenas, the attorneys general sent letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson requesting documents detailing their opioid distribution businesses.
'We must hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for their roles in the nationwide opioid epidemic,' Madigan said. 'My investigations have shown that drug companies pressure physicians into prescribing powerful, addictive drugs without regard for the law or patients' well-being.'
Nationwide and in Illinois, opioids - prescription and illicit - are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 1,339 in Illinois, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. Among the more than 64,000 drug overdose deaths estimated in 2016, the sharpest increase occurred among deaths related to fentanyl and synthetic opioids with over 20,000 overdose deaths. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 1,888 opioid deaths in 2016. Rural areas have experienced increases in death rates, but the greatest total number of overdose deaths occurred in Chicago and its surrounding areas. IDPH also reported a 77 percent increase in emergency room visits and a 33 percent increase in hospitalizations related to opioid overdoses in the first three quarters of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015.
Madigan and the attorneys general are investigating what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid epidemic.
The investigation is Madigan's latest in her efforts to combat Illinois' opioid epidemic. In August, Madigan announced a $4.45 million settlement with the pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics for deceptively marketing a highly addictive opioid drug for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Madigan's investigation found that Insys illegally marketed its drug Subsys - which is significantly more powerful than morphine and has been approved solely to treat cancer pain - as a treatment for breakthrough back and neck pain. Insys also pushed doctors to prescribe higher and more expensive doses of Subsys, contrary to FDA mandates. The settlement will be used to address the significant increase in opioid abuse in communities throughout Illinois.
Division Chief Deborah Hagan, Chicago Bureau Chief Susan Ellis, Medical Director Dr. Monique Anawis, MD, JD, and Assistant Attorneys General Paige Boggs, Jennifer Crespo and Judith Parker are handling the investigation for Madigan's Consumer Protection Division.
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AG Paxton: 41-State Investigation Requests Documents From Companies That Manufacture And Distribute Highly Addictive Opioid Drugs (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Texas OAG

As part of an ongoing investigation into the nation's opioid epidemic, Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that Texas and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other states served investigative subpoenas and additional requests on eight companies that manufacture or distribute highly addictive painkillers.
'Protecting Texans is a top priority of my office. The goal of this phase of our investigation is to collect enough information so that the multi-state coalition can effectively evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids,' Attorney General Paxton said. 'We'll determine an appropriate course of action once it's determined what role these companies may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid crisis.'
Attorney General Paxton and his counterparts served investigative subpoenas - also known as Civil Investigative Demands (CID) - on drugmakers Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entitites, along with a supplemental CID on Purdue Pharma. Separately, the coalition sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
Opioids are a family of drugs including prescription painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin. Nationwide and in Texas, prescription and illegal opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 2,588 in Texas. Opioid overdoses in the U.S. have quadrupled since 1999.
In June, Attorney General Paxton and his fellow state attorneys general announced the launch of their coalition to determine whether drugmakers and distributors have broken any laws amid the deadly epidemic of opioid abuse.

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Tennessee Led Coalition Seeks Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors (PRESS RELEASE)

Sep 19, 2017 | Tennessee OAG

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General seeks documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic. This information will enable the Attorneys General to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. Tennessee is leading the group of 41 Attorneys General participating in the multistate investigations.
'The opioid crisis impacts all of us, and is a threat to families in every community in Tennessee and across the country,' General Slatery said. 'We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides.'
The Attorneys General served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, also known as Civil Investigative Demands, on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma.
Likewise, the Attorneys General sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.
The Attorneys General are using these investigative tools to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging this epidemic and determine the appropriate course of action to help resolve this crisis.
Nationwide and in Tennessee, opioids - prescription and illicit - are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, 1,631 Tennesseans died from drug overdoses in 2016, the highest number of such deaths recorded in state history.

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BRIEF-NY A.G. Schneiderman, coalition of AGs expand investigation into opioid crisis

Sep 19, 2017 | Reuters

* New York A.G. Schneiderman, bipartisan coalition of AGs expand multistate investigation into opioid crisis
* Says served subpoenas to Endo International, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceutical/Cephalon Inc and Allergan
* Says Attorneys General have also served a supplemental investigative subpoena on Purdue Pharma
* Attorneys General demanded information about distribution practices from AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson Source text - (on.ny.gov/2fxs8sO)

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Schneiderman Calls for Investigation into Opioid Crisis

Sep 19, 2017 | WBEN

By Tom Puckett

New York, NY (WBEN) A bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general are demanding information and documents from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs, part of a multistate investigation into whether the companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids. One of them is NY's attorney general Eric Schneiderman.
“Too often, prescription opioids are the on-ramp to addiction for millions of Americans,” says Schneiderman. “We’re committed to getting to the bottom of a broken system that has fueled the epidemic and taken far too many lives. New Yorkers whose families have been torn apart by the opioid crisis deserve to know if the industry put its bottom line ahead of patient safety. My office is committed to using every tool at our disposal to curb the epidemic and get those affected by it the help they need and the justice they deserve.”
The attorneys general served subpoenas on the following pharmaceutical manufacturers and their related entities:Endo International plcJanssen PharmaceuticalsTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc.Allergan Inc.
The attorneys general have also served a supplemental investigative subpoena on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general also demanded documents and information about distribution practices from the following opioid distribution companies, who together manage approximately 90 percent of the nation's opioid distribution:AmerisourceBergenCardinal HealthMcKesson
Opioid distributors alone make nearly $500 billion a year in revenue.
Opioids – both prescription and illicit – are the main driver of drug overdose deaths nationwide and in New York. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015 – including 2,754 in New York – and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. Drug overdoses account for a large percentage of deaths among New Yorkers between 15 and 44 years of age – accounting for a stunning 41 percent of deaths in Sullivan County, 37 percent in Erie County, and 32 percent in Nassau County, according to an analysis conducted by the New York Times.
Since taking office, Attorney General Schneiderman has launched a multi-levered strategy to tackle New York’s evolving opioid epidemic, including:Obtaining settlements with major domestic and global health insurers including Cigna, Anthem, and Empire BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS), which insure over 4 million New Yorkers, to remove barriers to life-saving treatment for opioid use disorder. The agreements put an end to the insurers’ policy of requiring prior authorization for medication-assisted treatment (“MAT”), which can lead to significant delays for patients seeking relief from addiction.Creating the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act (“I-STOP), a series of enhancements to New York’s prescription drug monitoring program that provide doctors with patient’s up-to-date controlled substance prescription history and established a safe disposal program providing a place for New Yorkers to get rid of expired and unneeded drugs—thus reducing the likelihood of stolen and forged prescriptions being used to obtain controlled substances from pharmacies. I-STOP reduced “doctor shopping,” a practice in which an individual attempts to obtain the same or similar prescriptions from multiple physicians, by 90% since 2014.Launching the Community Overdose Prevention (“COP”) program, a life-saving initiative that enabled state and local law-enforcement officers in the state of New York to carry naloxone, the extremely effective heroin antidote that can immediately reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Since the program’s implementation in April 2014, more than 100 overdoses were reversedusing kits provided by the COP program, which distributed over 27,000 kits across the state.Obtaining an agreement with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to cut and cap the price of naloxone for all agencies in New York State, reducing the price of naloxone by nearly 20 percent.Enforcing Mental Health Parity Lawsto reach agreements with health insurance companies, requiring them to implement sweeping reforms in their administration of behavioral health benefits, in particular relating to medical management practices, coverage of residential treatment for substance abuse, and co-pays for outpatient treatment, and to submit regular compliance reports. The agreements ultimately provided over $2 million in restitution for members whose claims for were improperly denied.Successfully prosecuting more than ten licensed prescribers including operators of “pill mills” and other unlawful practices for crimes related to improper opioid prescriptions.Cracking down on drug trafficking networks that traffic opioids into communities around the state. The Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) has now taken down 25 large drug trafficking gangs, made more than 580 felony narcotics arrests, and seized more than $1.5 million and more than 2,000 pounds of illegal drugs since 2011. In the past several months alone, Attorney General Schneiderman’s SURGE (Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic) Initiative has resulted in 260 alleged traffickers and dealers taken off the streets.Urging health insurance companies to review their coverage and payment policies that contribute to the opioid epidemic, as well as sending letters to the country’s three largest pharmacy benefit managers requesting documents, data, and other information regarding how they are addressing the opioid crisis.

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AG names targets in national probe of opioid makers

Sep 19, 2017 | ABC 27 News

By Myles Snyder

Pennsylvania’s attorney general says eight drug makers and distributors are the targets of a multi-state investigation into the sale and marketing of prescription opioids.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro said investigators are seeking documents and information about business practices from OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma, Endo International, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Teva’s U.S. subsidiary, Cephalon, manufactures many generic opioids.
Three drug distributors named in the investigation – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson – are responsible for distributing nearly 90 percent of the nation’s opioids, Shapiro said.
Shapiro said the investigation announced in June now involves 41 attorneys general. The states are looking into what role drug companies may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid epidemic.
“We have the resources, expertise and legal authority to take on this fight, and we aren’t letting up,” Shapiro said in a statement. “We’re following the evidence wherever it leads so we can change behavior and save lives. Make no mistake: if the law was broken, this team will find it, and we will take action to change the course of this epidemic.”

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PA part of national investigation into opioid manufacturers and distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Fox 43

By Staff

Surrounded by parents who have lost children to overdoses and local law enforcement, Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced a major expansion of investigations of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids that now involve 41 Attorneys General.
“To any parent, family or friend of someone lost to addiction, we hear you,” Attorney General Shapiro said at a news conference at an Upper Dublin High School athletic field in Montgomery County. “I’m announcing today a major step forward in our investigation into the manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of opioids – a class of drugs so dangerous the Centers for Disease Control warns they are “just as addictive as heroin.’”
Nationwide and in Pennsylvania, opioids are the main driver of fatal drug overdoses. Pennsylvania had 4,642 fatal drug overdoses in 2016 – a 37 percent increase over 2015. Thirteen Pennsylvanians die every day from overdoses. Eighty percent of persons suffering from heroin addiction began by abusing prescription drugs.
A total of 7.3 million opioid prescription drugs were dispensed in Pennsylvania last year.
Today, Attorney General Shapiro and a bipartisan group of Attorneys General from coast to coast disclosed new details of the progress of their coordinated investigation of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids:
Identifying the opioid manufacturers under investigation
• Endo International, maker of drugs like Opana and Percocet
• Janssen Pharmaceuticals, maker of opioids such as Duragesic, a fentanyl patch
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and its US subsidiary Cephalon Inc., which manufactures many generic opioids and drugs such as Actiq, a fentanyl lollipop
• Allergan Inc., maker of opioids like Kadian
• Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin
Shapiro said the attorneys general are seeking documents and information about business practices from companies responsible for distributing nearly 90 percent of the nation’s opioids.
Identifying the opioid distributors under investigation
• AmerisourceBergen
• Cardinal Health
• McKesson
The Attorneys General have served subpoenas for documents and information – known as Civil Investigative Demands – on the pharmaceutical manufacturers. The multistate investigation has also sent information demand letters to the distributors under investigation.
“This multi-state group of attorneys general is the best public-interest law firm in America, and the attorneys in the Public Protection Division of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General are at the helm of this national investigation,” Attorney General Shapiro said.
“We have the resources, expertise and legal authority to take on this fight, and we aren’t letting up,” Shapiro said. “We’re following the evidence wherever it leads so we can change behavior and save lives. Make no mistake: if the law was broken, this team will find it, and we will take action to change the course of this epidemic.”
These actions represent a dramatic expansion and coordination by 41 Attorneys General into the nationwide epidemic. While some states and municipalities have taken individual legal actions, the overwhelming majority of the country’s Attorneys General, from both parties and all parts of the country, have agreed to work together to investigate the marketing distribution and sale of opioids, and to take coordinated legal action as appropriate.
“As we have shown in other cases, broad, bipartisan coalitions of attorneys general can impact national problems through litigation and settlements – more effectively at times than when acting alone,” Shapiro said. “This epidemic is a national problem requiring a coordinated response to make the citizens of our states safer and to hold the appropriate parties accountable.”
Shapiro was joined at today’s news conference by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Hatboro Police Chief Jim Gardner, and Candy Decker, whose son, John, a scholastic lacrosse star, became addicted to prescription painkillers following a sports injury, gravitated to heroin, and suffered a fatal overdose. Joe Lubowitz, an Upper Dublin graduate in long-term recovery from addiction who works as an advocate, attended, along with a crowd of other advocates and persons in long-term recovery.
“A group of most of the attorneys general in this country, working together to investigate the pharmaceutical industry’s role in this epidemic, is a key component to achieve lasting solutions that work and help our citizens,” District Attorney Steele said.
“As I promised the day I took office in January, we are confronting this epidemic on our street corners, in doctors’ offices and hospitals, and now – in the boardrooms of pharmaceutical companies,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “We will follow the facts and the law, without fear or favor, and hold the responsible persons and companies accountable for the tragic loss of life and damage suffered by so many families across our Commonwealth.”

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Paxton makes moves against Companies that Manufacture and Distribute Highly Addictive Opioid Drugs

Sep 19, 2017 | Greenville Extra

By Staff

As part of an ongoing investigation into the nation’s opioid epidemic, Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that Texas and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other states served investigative subpoenas and additional requests on eight companies that manufacture or distribute highly addictive painkillers.
“Protecting Texans is a top priority of my office. The goal of this phase of our investigation is to collect enough information so that the multi-state coalition can effectively evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids,” Attorney General Paxton said. “We’ll determine an appropriate course of action once it’s determined what role these companies may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid crisis.”
Attorney General Paxton and his counterparts served investigative subpoenas – also known as Civil Investigative Demands (CID) – on drugmakers Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities, along with a supplemental CID on Purdue Pharma. Separately, the coalition sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
Opioids are a family of drugs including prescription painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin. Nationwide and in Texas, prescription and illegal opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 2,588 in Texas. Opioid overdoses in the U.S. have quadrupled since 1999.
In June, Attorney General Paxton and his fellow state attorneys general announced the launch of their coalition to determine whether drugmakers and distributors have broken any laws amid the deadly epidemic of opioid abuse.

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Tennessee-Led Coalition Seeks Documents From Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | The Chattanoogan

By Staff

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III on Tuesday announced a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General seeks documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of multistate investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic. This information will enable the attorneys general to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids. Tennessee is leading the group of 41 attorneys general participating in the multi-state investigations.
“The opioid crisis impacts all of us, and is a threat to families in every community in Tennessee and across the country,” General Slatery said. “We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides.”

The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, also known as Civil Investigative Demands, on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma.
Likewise, the attorneys general sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.
The attorneys general are using these investigative tools to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging this epidemic and determine the appropriate course of action to help resolve this crisis.
Nationwide and in Tennessee, opioids – prescription and illicit – are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, 1,631 Tennesseans died from drug overdoses in 2016, the highest number of such deaths recorded in state history.

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Schuette opens investigation into opioid manufacturers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | WLUC (MI)

By Staff

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced he is moving forward with an investigation of both the manufacturers and the distributors of prescription opioid drugs alongside a bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general. The coalition has demanded detailed information and documents from both the manufacturers and the distributors.
Today’s announcement represents a dramatic expansion and coordination of the investigations by the attorneys general into the nationwide opioid epidemic. A majority of the states' chief legal officers are now pooling resources and coordinating across party lines to address the most pressing public health crisis affecting our country, and doing so with a broad focus on multiple entities at both the manufacturer and distributor levels.
“Highly addictive opioid drugs have destroyed families, robbed children of parents and robbed parents of children,” said Schuette. "I will be working with attorneys general from across the country, pooling our resources, and digging into the marketing, distribution and sale of opioids. Once the information has been provided and reviewed, we will take further coordinated legal action as appropriate."
The attorneys general are actively investigating the following pharmaceutical manufacturers and their related entities:
• Endo International plc
• Janssen Pharmaceuticals
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc.
• Allergan Inc.
• Purdue Pharma
The attorneys general are also seeking documents and information about distribution practices from the following medical prescription distribution companies, who together manage approximately 90 percent of the nation's opioid distribution:
• AmerisourceBergen
• Cardinal Health
• McKesson
Opioids – both prescription and illicit – are the main driver of drug overdose deaths nationwide and in Michigan. In 2015, Michigan saw its third consecutive year of increased drug overdose deaths. 1,981 people died from drug overdoses in 2015, a 13.5 percent increase from 2014. Since 1999, deaths from opioids have quadrupled, up from 455 in 1999.
This investigation is being handled by Schuette’s Corporate Oversight Division.
Schuette’s Continued Focus on Stopping the Opioid Crisis in Michigan
It should be noted that this announcement is only the latest step in Schuette’s ongoing work to address this crisis. In addition to this multistate investigation, Schuette’s Licensing and Regulation Division has worked collaboratively with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to summarily suspend the licenses of 25 prescribers since January of 2016 who engaged in overprescribing behavior. The licenses of four more dispensers were also summarily suspended during that time.
Additionally, Schuette’s Health Care Fraud Division has prosecuted two separate prescription forgery rings resulting in successful resolutions against all 13 persons charged.
Schuette’s newly formed Opioid Trafficking and Interdiction Unit, part of the Attorney General’s Criminal Division, has already taken on 48 cases, with six individuals already convicted and 17 currently facing charges. The cases have been and will continue to be charged in cooperation with local law enforcement, Michigan State Police narcotics teams and federal agencies. The Unit will also take on felony murder cases in which it is alleged that the delivery of opioids has caused death.

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Schneiderman announces results of national opioid investigation

Sep 19, 2017 | Times Union (NY)

By Staff

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general from across the country has demanded information and documents from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs.
The demands are part of a multistate investigation into whether the companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids, Schneiderman said at a news conference Tuesday.
The attorneys general served subpoenas on four pharmaceutical manufacturers, Endo International plc, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc. and Allergan Inc. and their related entities.
The attorneys general also served a supplemental investigative subpoena on Purdue Pharma.

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State AGs gang up on opioid makers, 41 now in coalition

Sep 19, 2017 | Seeking Alpha

By Douglas W. House

Realizing a golden opportunity to extract money from corporations, 41 state attorneys general have expanded their investigations into alleged misleading marketing by drug firms aimed at boosting sales of prescription opioid medications and contributing greatly to the opioid addiction crisis.
Endo International (ENDP +0.9%), Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals (JNJ -0.2%), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA+1.1%), Allergan (AGN -1.5%) and privately held Purdue Pharma are in the crosshairs, as are drug wholesalers AmerisourceBergen (ABC -1.3%), Cardinal Health (CAH -1.4%) and McKesson (MCK +0.7%).
Six states, SC, NH, OH, MO, OK and MS have already sued.
Source: Bloomberg

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Healey expands investigation of opioid makers

Sep 19, 2017 | Eagle Tribune (North Boston Media Group)

By Christian M. Wade

BOSTON — Attorney General Maura Healey is widening her investigation of opioid manufacturers, as part of a probe that already involves the top prosecutors of 39 states.
Healey, a Democrat, said Tuesday she is asking eight companies for information related to their marketing practices and involvement with industry organizations that market opioids.
"What we're asking these companies, what did they know and when did they know it?” Healey said at a press briefing in Boston.
"We deserve to hear from these drug-makers what they knew about the addictive and deadly nature of opioid painkillers, and whether they misrepresented those risks in order to increase corporate profits," she said while flanked by law enforcement officials and people who've lost family members to opioid addiction.
The companies are Allergan, Endo, Janssen, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Purdue Pharma, maker of the highly additive OxyContin painkillers. The probe is also targeting AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
In June, Healey said she’d teamed up with a bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general to probe whether drug-makers have engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing and sale of opioids. She said her office would use subpoenas and other investigative tools to determine if any state laws were broken.
Healey's expanded probe comes amid a flurry of federal and state investigations into the business practices of the nation's manufacturers of prescription opioids.
Two weeks ago, a congressional committee issued a report alleging that Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics Inc. "systematically" pressured employees, physicians and the medical industry to expand the use of its fentanyl drug Subsys for pain management of non-cancer conditions such as back pain, fibromyalgia and migraines.
In August, Arizona's Attorney General Mark Brnovich sued the company, accusing it of violating his state's consumer protection laws by providing insurers with false and misleading information to obtain prior authorization for patient prescriptions.
The company has denied the allegations and criticized the investigations and legal challenges for lacking "context and factual accuracy."
Nationally prescription painkillers and heroin killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Massachusetts has been particularly hit hard.
In 2016, there were 2,107 suspected fatal overdoses in the state, the most ever counted and at least three times the number reported in 2013, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Essex County reported 285 opioid-related deaths last year, Middlesex had 400, according to state data.
Still, public health officials say the number of opioid-related deaths fell about 5 percent in the first six months of 2017 compared to the same period a year earlier.
There were an estimated 978 confirmed deaths in the first half of 2017, compared to 1,031 estimated and confirmed deaths during the first half of 2016.
And deaths from the powerful synthetic drug fentanyl continue to increase, even as the presence of heroin in opioid-related fatalities has declined.

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Iowa expands investigation into prescription-drug companies' roles in addiction epidemic

Sep 19, 2017 | The Des Moines Register

By Tony Leys

Iowa’s attorney general is joining most of his colleagues in demanding documents from eight major manufacturers or distributors of prescription painkillers, as part of an investigation into their roles in the nation’s drug-addiction epidemic.
Tom Miller’s office announced Tuesday that it and 41 other attorneys general are looking into the companies’ practices.
“The information that state attorneys general seek will enable the states to investigate and evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids,” Miller’s office said in a statement.
Industry critics contend pharmaceutical companies helped spark a wave of drug addictions and overdoses by downplaying the danger of prescription painkillers. Experts say many people who become addicted to the pills later switch to heroin, an illicit drug that is chemically similar but cheaper.
Although Iowa hasn’t seen as severe a problem as many other states, the epidemic has struck here. Miller’s office noted a state report showing the number of opioid related overdose deaths jumping from 28 in 2005 to 67 in 2016, and the number of treatment admissions for opioid problems climbing from 608 to 2,274 over the same period.
“The opioid epidemic is nothing short of a public health crisis that kills dozens of Iowans every year and more than 100 people a day nationwide,” Miller said in a prepared statement. “Beyond those numbers, this epidemic profoundly impacts affected patients, their families, our communities, and our health care system,” Miller added. “As state attorneys general we can collaboratively use the law to investigate the cause and scope of this problem, and we can work together to help address it.”
The companies targeted in the investigation were identified as Allergan, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, Endo, Janssen, McKesson, Purdue Pharma, Teva/Cephalon,
Several state and local governments have filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for their alleged roles in the epidemic. Iowa has not yet joined any of those suits.

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Alabama AG joins 40 other Attorneys General seeking info from opioid manufacturers

Sep 19, 2017 | WHNT 19 News

By David Kumbroch

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general is pushing opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of a “multistate investigation into the nationwide opioid epidemic.” Alabama’s Steve Marshall is part of that effort.
A news release from the Alabama AG’s office says the group of attorneys general has served investigative subpoenas for documents and information to Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities. They also demanded information from opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.
Marshall weighed in on the effort and its importance saying, “Opioid abuse has reached a crisis level in Alabama and in many portions of the country, and earlier this year I joined with fellow attorneys general in investigating what role opioid manufacturers may have had in creating or prolonging the opioid abuse epidemic, and to establish the appropriate course of action to help solve this crisis.”
He added, “Our investigation continues as we seek information from drug manufacturers and distributors to help determine whether they engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015 including 736 in Alabama, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999.

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The only thing Trump is doing to end the opioid crisis rewards the companies that started it (OPINION)

Sep 19, 2017 | Business Insider

By Linette Lopez

A month after he said he would, President Trump has yet to declare the opioid epidemic a national crisis.
He has, however, created a public-private partnership with some of the very companies that addicted America, according to Politico. It is one of a few recommendations that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the head of Trump’s opioid crisis task force, made to the president.
And it stands out, not just because it’s the only thing the administration has actually done, but also because it’s the only one that rewards companies that are responsible for the crisis at hand.
This is kind of like letting a group of foxes fix the gate in your proverbial hen house. Christie and White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins met with 14 pharmaceutical companies to discuss this on Monday.
Those companies include Purdue Pharmaceuticals, Allergan and Johnson & Johnson. So let’s talk about them.
If you’re going to do public-private partnerships, why not choose companies that aren’t currently under investigation for the following:As of May, New York State is suing both Johnson & Johnson and Purdue for deceptive marketing and misrepresenting the effects of their opioid drugs. New Hampshire, Ohio and South Carolina are all also suing Purdue for its marketing practices. Purdue, the maker of Oxycontin, made sure that its drugs flooded the state of West Virginia by paying off a middleman, called a pharmacy benefit manager, to make sure its state insurers never limited prescriptions of their drugs. Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, and Allergan, among others, are all the subject of an investigation by Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO). She wants to know if the companies mislead or encouraged doctors to prescribe opioids for people who didn’t really need them. The state of Missouri is also suing Allergan and Johnson & Johnson, among others, for their opioid marketing.
I could go on, but I shouldn’t have to. These companies shouldn’t be rewarded with lucrative partnerships with the government while they’re being investigated for their role in an epidemic of deadly narcotics addictions.
Two more things to note here. First, it’s not as if less addictive pain medication isn’t on the market. But it’s expensive, and insurance companies have often restricted patient access to them in favor of cheaper, more addictive opioids. The New York Times and Pro Publica published a deep dive into that this week.
And the second thing. The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported that other ideas that the task force put forth have met a pretty simple roadblock – no one wants to pay for them. Seems like we should work on these before handing a new revenue stream to companies who have yet to act in good faith when it comes to this epidemic.

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States expand investigation of opioid makers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | 6 ABC (WPVI)

Attorneys general from dozens of states, including Pennsylvania, are broadening their investigation into the opioid industry as a nationwide overdose crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.
They announced Tuesday that they had served subpoenas requesting information from five companies that make powerful prescription painkillers and demands for information from three distributors. Forty-one attorneys general are involved.
The probe into marketing and sales practices seeks to find out whether the industry's own actions worsened the epidemic.
"We have the resources, expertise and legal authority to take on this fight, and we aren't letting up," Pennsylvana Attorney General JoshShapiro said. "We're following the evidence wherever it leads so we can change behavior and save lives. Make no mistake: if the law was broken, this team will find it, and we will take action to change the course of this epidemic."
If the industry cooperates, the investigation could lead to a national settlement. Connecticut Attorney George Jepsen said in an interview that there are early indications that drugmakers and distributors will discuss the matter with the states.
"The advantage of the multi-state approach is that it's not simply about providing a paycheck for damages to states," Jepsen said. "It provides the opportunity to address broader policy concerns and industry practices."
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance said in a statement that it's not responsible for the volume of opioid prescribing but that it does want to work on solving the public health crisis.
"While distributors play a vital role as logistics companies, to suggest that they are responsible for the volume of opioids prescribed lacks a fundamental understanding of how the supply chain works and is regulated," John Gray, the group's president and CEO said in a statement. "Distributors have no ability to influence what prescriptions are written."
PhRMA, which represents drugmakers, declined to comment on the investigation but said it is trying to deter and prevent drug abuse.
The group and some of its members met Monday with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who is the head of President Donald Trump's task force on opioids, and pledged to try to develop technologies to reduce the risk of addiction and abuse.
The drug companies targeted in the requests for information are Endo, Janssen, Teva and Allergan. The attorneys general also asked for more information from Purdue Pharma; an investigation of that company was announced in June. The distributors involved are AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
Drug overdoses have become a crisis across the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2015, they killed more than 52,000 Americans. Most of the deaths involved prescription opioids such as OxyContin or Vicodin or related illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl. People with addictions often switch among the drugs.
Dozens of local and state governments have already filed, announced or publicly considered lawsuits against drugmakers or distributors.
Lawyers for the city of Everett, Washington, argued this week that their case against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, should be allowed to move ahead after the company asked a judge to dismiss the case.
State and local governments have been taking other action as the epidemic has deepened, with steps ranging from increasing access to naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses, to restricting initial prescriptions
On Monday, a group of 37 attorneys general called on health insurance companies to offer incentives for other forms of pain treatment including non-opioid drugs and massage, saying that as it stands now, insurers cover opioids more than other approaches to pain treatment.
The industry group America's Health Insurance Plans said in a statement that it's already working on using education, prevention and other means in an effort to eradicate addiction.

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TN Attorney General Slatery leading coalition of states demanding documents from opioid manufacturers

Sep 19, 2017 | Times Free Press

By Andy Sher

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery today announced a Tennessee-led bipartisan coalition of the nation's state attorney generals who are now demanding documents and other information from opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of multi-state investigations into the national painkiller epidemic.

The information will help the 41-member multi-state group to evaluate if manufacturers and distributors are engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.

"The opioid crisis impacts all of us, and is a threat to families in every community in Tennessee and across the country," Slatery said in a statement. "We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides."

Tennessee has one of the worst opioid problems in the nation, coming in at No. 22. The total places Tennessee second in the nation, behind only Alabama, in prescriptions of the drugs.

Tennessee ranks No. 2 nationally in the share of opioid prescriptions per capita, according to information compiled by IMS Health Data. Chattanooga is at a two-city tie with Jackson, Tenn., for No. 20 nationwide among the worst 25 cities in the nation for opioid prescription abuse, according to Castlight Health.

Just this week, the Tennessee Health Department announced that drug overdose deaths rose 12 percent between 2015 and 2016, the highest recorded number of deaths in state history. Officials say 1,631 Tennesseans died from drug overdoses in 2016.

Health officials are blaming Fentanyl, an opioid, for the increase.

According to Slatery's office, state attorney generals representing four fifths of the nation served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, also known as Civil Investigative Demands, on four drug manufacturers - Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon and Allergan, along with their related entities.

Also served was a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma.

The attorney generals also sent information "demand letters" to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.

Slatery's office says states intend to use the information "to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in creating or prolonging this epidemic and determine the appropriate course of action to help resolve this crisis."

In June, three Northeast Tennessee prosecutors filed suit against drug manufacturers, charging they helped cause the state's epidemic through deceptive advertising that downplayed risks of addiction to painkillers.More Articles

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Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery today announced a Tennessee-led bipartisan coalition of the nation's state attorney generals who are now demanding documents and other information from opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of multi-state

Sep 19, 2017 | Fox 17 Nashville

By Adrian Mojica

A bipartisan coalition consisting of 41 Attorneys General and led by the state of Tennessee is requesting documents from opioid manufacturers and distributors.
In a statement released by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, the coalition issued information demand letters and investigative subpoenas to eight companies. The goal of the Attorneys General is to determine the role played by these companies in creating the current opioid epidemic and what can be done to stop the crisis.
Slatery says the coalition will use all the tools at their disposal in the multi-state investigation. “We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides," Slatery stated.
Investigative subpoenas for documents and information were issued to Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities. A supplemental investigative demand was also issued to Purdue Pharma. Informational demand letters were sent to distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.

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Tennessee leads opioid investigation as number of overdoses continue to rise

Sep 19, 2017 | News3 WREG Memphis

By Erin Taylor

Tennessee is leading the way in a multi-state investigation into the manufacturing and distribution of opioids across the United States.
Attorneys in 41 states issued subpoenas to several companies including Endo, Janssen, Teva/ Cephalon, Allergan, AmericsourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson seeking documents and other information regarding how they market, sale and/or distribute the drugs.
It’s all in an effort to determine what role they play, if any, in prolonging the current opioid epidemic.
“The opioid crisis impacts all of us, and is a threat to families in every community in Tennessee and across the country,” Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III said. “We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides.”
In Tennessee alone, more than 1,600 people died from drug overdoses in 2016. That’s a 12 percent increase over 2015.
Officials said heroin was associated with 260 deaths in 2016, a 26 percent increase over the previous year.
Deaths where both opioids and stimulants, such as methamphetamine, were used jumped from 65 in 2015 to 111 in 2016.
But the illicit drug driving the increase is fentanyl. Fentanyl-related deaths increased 74 percent, from 169 to 294, from 2015 to 2016. The biggest fentanyl-related increase came in people ages 25 to 34, where 42 recorded deaths in 2015 increased to 114 last year.
Nationally, the number of drug overdose deaths are expected to continue to reach new record highs. The CDC expects drug overdose deaths to top 64,000 in 2016 when the numbers are finalized — that’s more than the number of American troops lost during the Vietnam War. Most of these overdoses involved an opioid. Since 1999, the number of opioid-related drug deaths has more than quadrupled.
While prescription opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone were considered to be driving factors in the increasing rates of overdose in the early part of the 2000s, heroin and illicit fentanyl have become the drivers for opioid overdose deaths in recent years. In fact, the number of overdose deaths related to fentanyl is expected to more than double, from an estimated 9,945 in 2016 to 20,145 in 2017, the CDC says. For the first time, fentanyl will be the leading cause of opioid overdose.
‘It’s a national emergency’
On the heels of the release of a draft report of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, over the summer, President Donald Trump said “The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I am saying, officially, right now, it is an emergency. It’s a national emergency.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis,” he added. “It is a serious problem the likes of which we have never had.”
In addition, this week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who chairs the drug addiction commission, posted a letter on the White House’s website requesting an additional four weeks for the commission to complete its final report.
“In the interest of submitting … sound recommendations, our research and policy development are still in progress,” wrote Christie. “Accordingly, and pursuant to the Executive Order establishing the Commission, we are seeking an additional four weeks to finalize our work.”
Many public health officials point to the over-prescribing of narcotic painkillers as one of the roots of the opioid overdose epidemic. Last year, the CDC issued new prescribing guidelines for using opioids to treat chronic pain. According to a recent government report, the No. 1 reason that people misuse prescription drugs is to manage pain. In an attempt to help deal with the pain issue, the Trump administration is partnering with private pharmaceutical companies to help fast-track non-opioid, non-addictive pain relief alternatives.

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Pa. firms among those targeted in opioid probe

Sep 19, 2017 | Central Penn Business Journal

By Roger DuPuis

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has disclosed the names of pharmaceutical companies under investigation as part of a multi-state probe into the manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
The prescription drugs have been linked to an epidemic of abuse. Officials in 41 states, including Pennsylvania, have been ratcheting up legal pressure on pharmaceutical companies that make and market the pills.
"We will change the very system of manufacturing, marketing and distributing these drugs," Shapiro said Tuesday morning during a press conference in Montgomery County, where he was joined by local law enforcement, addiction survivors and and families of opioid overdose victims.
Shapiro and his fellow attorneys general are seeking documents and information about business practices from companies responsible for distributing nearly 90 percent of the nation’s opioids.
Shapiro said he and the other AGs have served subpoenas for documents and information — called Civil Investigative Demands — on the pharmaceutical manufacturers. Investigators also have sent information demand letters to the distributors under investigation.
Shapiro said that the investigation was based on victims being impacted in Pennsylvania, regardless of where the companies are based.
The companies are:
Opioid manufacturers
• Endo International, maker of drugs like Opana and Percocet, whose U.S. headquarters are in Malvern, near Philadelphia.
• Janssen Pharmaceuticals, maker of opioids such as Duragesic, a fentanyl patch, whose headquarters are in Titusville, N.J.
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and its U.S. subsidiary Cephalon Inc., which manufactures many generic opioids and drugs such as Actiq, a fentanyl lollipop. Teva is an Israeli multinational, while Cephalon is based in Frazer, also in suburban Philadelphia.
• Allergan Inc., maker of opioids like Kadian, is an Irish company with U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, N.J.
• Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, which is based in Stamford, Conn.
Opioid distributors
• AmerisourceBergen, whose headquarters are in Chesterbrook, Chester County.
• Cardinal Health, based in Ohio.
• McKesson, whose headquarters are in San Francisco.
Prior to Shapiro's press conference, Cardinal on Monday released a statement about the investigation, saying it looks forward to working with the AGs on the probe.
"As a pharmaceutical distributor, we operate as part of a multi-faceted and highly regulated healthcare system. We do not manufacture, promote or prescribe prescription medications to members of the public – and believe everyone in that chain, including us, must do their part to address the current crisis," the statement said.
"To that end, Cardinal Health maintains a sophisticated, state-of-the-art anti-diversion program that includes advanced analytics, technology and on-the-ground deployment of investigators to evaluate pharmacies, scrutinize controlled substance orders, and identify, block and report to regulators those orders of prescription controlled substances medications that do not meet our strict anti-diversion criteria," Cardinal's statement added.
Allergan released a statement saying it is "working cooperatively with state attorneys general."
"While we work proactively with their offices to provide information, it is important to put into perspective Allergan’s role regarding opioids," the statement continued.
"Allergan’s two branded opioid products – Norco and Kadian – account for less than 0.08 percent of all opioid products prescribed in 2016 in the U.S. These products came to Allergan through legacy acquisitions and have not been promoted since 2012, in the case of Kadian, and since 2003, in the case of Norco," Allergan added.
Janssen spokesman William Foster said the company has "received and plans to address the request from the coalition of state attorney generals, and will continue to work with stakeholders to support solutions."
"Janssen has acted responsibly and in the best interests of patients and physicians with regard to these medicines, which are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about possible risks on every product label," Foster added.
Efforts to reach representatives from the other firms were not immediately successful.
Addiction statistics
Opioid drugs are the main cause of fatal drug overdoses in Pennsylvania and nationwide, Shapiro's office said.
Pennsylvania had 4,642 fatal drug overdoses in 2016, a 37 percent increase over 2015, the AG's office said.
Eighty percent of people suffering from heroin addiction began by abusing prescription drugs, Shapiro pointed out, and 7.3 million opioid prescription drugs were dispensed in Pennsylvania last year — many for common workplace and sports injuries.
"Behind me is a field, where no doubt student athletes have been injured and no doubt, treated with prescription drugs," Shapiro said from a podium at the Upper Dublin High School athletic complex. "That's a culture we have to look into and change."
The press conference included remarks from Joe Lubowitz, an Upper Dublin graduate and three-sport athlete who is in long-term recovery from addiction and has founded Humble Beginnings Recovery Centers.
"It all started with one pill," said Lubowitz, describing how an addiction to prescription medication that began while he was a student at Penn State escalated into heroin use.
"I didn't care about anything. I didn't care if I lived or died," Lubowitz said.
Shapiro pledged to take the investigation to "the boardrooms of pharmaceutical companies," likening it to previous multi-state battles against the tobacco industry.
"As we have shown in other cases, broad, bipartisan coalitions of attorneys general can impact national problems through litigation and settlements – more effectively at times than when acting alone," Shapiro said.
"This epidemic is a national problem requiring a coordinated response to make the citizens of our states safer and to hold the appropriate parties accountable," he added.

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5 drug manufacturers, 3 distributors now in sights of investigation by attorneys general, including Maura Healey

Sep 19, 2017 | Massachusetts Live

By Shira Schoenberg

Five drug manufacturers and three drug distributors are now under review in a joint investigation by dozens of attorneys general around the nation into whether pharmaceutical companies misrepresented the dangers of prescription painkillers and ignored the public health risks of opioids.
"What we're asking these companies is what do they know and when did they know it?" said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, one of the 39 attorneys general participating in the investigation. "Did they know how addictive these drugs were when they sold them? Did they mislead patients into thinking drugs were safe?...Did they ignore information that could have saved lives?"
Healey first announced in June that her office was working with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general to evaluate whether drug manufacturers engaged in unlawful practices in marketing and selling opioids. At a press conference Tuesday, Healey announced the investigation had expanded.
The earlier investigation focused exclusively on Purdue Pharma, a company that several states -- including New Hampshire have already sued -- accusing them of deceptive marketing practices related to OxyContin. In an earlier case in 2007, three Purdue Pharma executives pleaded guilty and paid a $634 million fine for misbranding OxyContin by overstating the benefits of opioids for treating chronic pain.
The attorneys general now are investigating five drug manufacturers: Purdue Pharma, Endo, Janssen, Teva and Allergan. They are also investigating three drug distributors: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
The attorneys general are subpoenaing documents to determine what role the opioid manufacturers and distributors may have played in the opioid epidemic -- for example, through misleading marketing or downplaying the addictive quality of the drugs. The attorneys general are seeking information about whether the distributors properly tracked and reported suspicious orders of controlled substances.
"I've heard far too many stories from people who didn't know a prescription drug they were taking for a sports industry or wisdom tooth surgery could lead to addiction," Healey said.
Asked if there was any evidence of wrongdoing by the drug companies, Healey said the matter is still under investigation, so she is limited in what she can say. "We're going to do work as we always do, conduct an investigation, and go where the facts take us," Healey said.
Healey's involvement in the lawsuit earned her praise from law enforcement and others involved with the opioid crisis.
Joanne Peterson, founder and executive director of Learn to Cope, which helps families struggling with addiction, said the investigation "gives hope to families and friends who have lost loved ones."
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said she was recently at the funeral of a 24-year-old who died from drug addiction. "You cannot help but ask why did this happen?" Ryan said. "How did this happen? How did an injury, some prescriptions lead us to this day?"
State Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, said drug companies originally stepped in to meet the demand for drugs to treat pain, but as people became addicted, "that supply kept coming."
He said since then, the scale has tipped from drug companies meeting a legitimate demand for painkillers to dispensing too many opioids that feed addiction.

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AG targets drug makers as part of opiate probe

Sep 19, 2017 | Boston Herald

By Matt Stout

Attorney General Maura Healey said her office, along with dozens of other state attorneys general, is now honing in on more than a half-dozen manufacturers and distributors as part of a probe into opioid marketing, including pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma and several distributors.
Healey said the expanded investigation is an "unprecedented effort" by law enforcement to dig into the sales and marketing of opioids, which officials say is often an addictive precursor into the deadly heroin and fentanyl trade.
Healey had initially touted the investigation in June, but only today publicly identified the targets. The investigation had initially focused primarily on Purdue Pharma, according to her office, but now includes seven other companies, including: distributors Endo, Janssen, Teva and Allergan, as well as three manufacturers in AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
"What did they know and when did they know it?" Healey said at an early afternoon press conference. "Did they know how addictive these drugs were when they sold them? Did they mislead patients into thinking these drugs were safe?
"You deserve answers," she later added. "The American people deserve answers. And we're going to get them."
Healey's office is working with 38 other attorneys general as part of the investigation, though she declined to say if they've found any evidence of wrong-doing to this point.
Massachusetts has been engulfed in an opiate epidemic that claimed more than 2,000 lives last year, according to state data. More than 900 people have already died through the first half of this year from fatal overdoses.
"Some days I feel like we're at the bottom of a mountain of sand with a lone shovel and each swipe brings another avalanche of victims," said Joanne Peterson, founder of the group, Learn to Cope, which works with families of those battling addiction. "This has gone completely out of control for many, many years."
Beyond seeking documents from the manufacturers, authorities are also investigating the distribution practices of McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, who, according to Healey, collectively manage roughly 90 percent of the nation’s opioid distribution.
The probe is focused on whether the companies "properly tracked and reported suspicious orders of controlled substances," according to Healey's office.

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Colorado attorney general and counterparts widen probe into opioid manufacturers and distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Denver Post

By Jesse Paul

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and more than three dozen of her counterparts have widened their probe into what role opioid manufacturers and distributors might have played in sparking the U.S. prescription pain medication and heroin epidemic.
The coalition of 41 attorneys general has served subpoenas on opioid manufacturers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals/Cephalon, Inc., Allergan PLC, and their related entities, Coffman's office announced Tuesday. A supplemental subpoena was also served on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general — from both sides of the aisle — also sent letters requesting documentation from the nation's top opioid distributors. Coffman's office says Colorado is among the states leading the investigation of the manufacturers as part of the widespread investigation.
"The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on millions of families across the country, and Colorado has certainly not been immune to this crisis," she said in a written statement.

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The coalition of 41 attorneys general has served subpoenas on opioid manufacturers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals/Cephalon, Inc., Allergan PLC, and their related entities, Coffman's office announced Tuesday. A suppleme

Sep 19, 2017 | Tennessean (USA Today Network)

By Holly Fletcher

Tennessee's attorney general is spearheading a coalition of 41 states that is demanding documents from several prescription painkiller manufacturers and distributors as it investigates the companies' practices regarding opioids.
The states served subpoenas on Sept. 19 on global pharmaceutical giants Endo International, Janssen, Allergan, and Teva, which bought Cephalon as part of an investigation into whether the companies "engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids," according to a release from the state.
“The opioid crisis impacts all of us, and is a threat to families in every community in Tennessee and across the country,” said Herbert Slatery, the state's attorney general. “We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides.”
Overdose deaths continue to rise in Tennessee, fueled in large part by both prescription and illicit opioids. In 2016 across the state, at least 1,631 people died from overdose, which could be from opioid or other drugs such as methamphetamine.
There is also a supplemental civil investigative demand on Purdue Pharma, which is being sued by other states over its opioid marketing practices.
The Tennessee-led coalition send demand letters to distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.

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Opioid manufacturers, distributors subpoenaed by New York AG, 40 other states

Sep 19, 2017 | AM New York

By Matthew Chayes

Attorneys general of 41 states, including New York, have subpoenaed opioid manufacturers and distributors in an investigation into whether the companies are responsible for addiction among users of the drugs.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman asid investigators want to take a “deep dive” into why insurers make it harder to get less addictive forms of treatment, opioid marketing incentives and whether manufacturers are reporting suspicious activity adequately.
“If there is misconduct, we will proceed to litigation,” said Schneiderman, who declined to release copies of the subpoenas.
The subpoenas went to manufacturers Endo International; Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Purdue Pharma; Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries/Cephalon; and Allergan. The subpoened distributors are AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, Schneiderman’s office said.
Representatives of the companies could not be reached immediately for comment.
According to Schneiderman’s office, prescription and illicit opioids are the primary cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States.
Statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999, Schneiderman said.
Among New Yorkers between 15 and 44 years old, the drugs account for 32 percent of deaths in Nassau and 27 percent in Suffolk.
When prescribed legally, opioids alleviate pain.

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Attorney General Becerra Calls For Answers from Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Highland Community News

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that California and 40 other states are expanding their investigation to seek information from additional pharmaceutical manufacturers and the three largest distributors of opioids to determine if the companies engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids.
Opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths nationwide in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. In 2015, California had the third most deaths, with nearly 2,000 Californians losing their lives due to overdose related to opioid use.
“The opioid crisis is devastating our communities. This multistate investigation aims to determine what role drug companies may have played in furthering this crisis,” said Attorney General Becerra. “With so many of my colleagues in other states partnering in this investigation, I look forward to getting answers that will help us attack some of the root causes of and those responsible for the opioid crisis.”
The Attorneys General served written requests for documents and information, known as civil investigative demands, on pharmaceutical manufacturers Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entities. They also served a supplemental civil investigative demand on Purdue Pharma. Further, the Attorneys General sent letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson seeking documents pertaining to their opioid distribution business.
Attorney General Becerra is committed to protecting the safety and health of families and consumers in California. In June, Attorney General Becerra announced that a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general was investigating opioid manufacturers’ potential role in creating or prolonging the opioid epidemic. Last year, the Office of the Attorney General sued a pharmaceutical company for inflating prices for opioid addiction treatment. The California Department of Justice also maintains California’s prescription drug monitoring program, CURES 2.0, which allows health providers and pharmacists to flag at-risk patients and curb prescription drug abuse.

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States expand investigation of opioid makers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | The Courier (OH)

Attorneys general from most states are broadening their investigation into the opioid industry as a nationwide overdose crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.
They announced Tuesday that they had served subpoenas requesting information from five companies that make powerful prescription painkiller demanded information from three distributors. Forty-one attorneys general are involved in various parts of the civil investigation.
The probe into marketing and sales practices seeks to find out whether the industry’s own actions worsened the epidemic.
If the industry cooperates, the investigation could lead to a national settlement. Connecticut Attorney George Jepsen said in an interview that there are early indications that drugmakers and distributors will discuss the matter with the states.
“The advantage of the multi-state approach is that it’s not simply about providing a paycheck for damages to states,” Jepsen said. “It provides the opportunity to address broader policy concerns and industry practices.”
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance said in a statement that it’s not responsible for the volume of opioid prescribing but that it does want to work on solving the public health crisis.
“While distributors play a vital role as logistics companies, to suggest that they are responsible for the volume of opioids prescribed lacks a fundamental understanding of how the supply chain works and is regulated,” John Gray, the group’s president and CEO said in a statement. “Distributors have no ability to influence what prescriptions are written.”
PhRMA, which represents drugmakers, declined to comment on the investigation but said it is trying to deter and prevent drug abuse.
The group and some of its members met Monday with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who is the head of President Donald Trump’s task force on opioids, and pledged to try to develop technologies to reduce the risk of addiction and abuse.
The drug companies targeted in the requests for information are Endo, Janssen, Teva and Allergan. The attorneys general also asked for more information from Purdue Pharma; an investigation of that company was announced in June. The distributors involved are AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
Drug overdoses have become a crisis across the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2015, they killed more than 52,000 Americans. Most of the deaths involved prescription opioids such as OxyContin or Vicodin or related illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl. People with addictions often switch among the drugs.
Dozens of local and state governments have already filed, announced or publicly considered lawsuits against drugmakers or distributors.
Lawyers for the city of Everett, Washington, argued this week that their case against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, should be allowed to move ahead after the company asked a judge to dismiss the case.
State and local governments have been taking other action as the epidemic has deepened, with steps ranging from increasing access to naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses, to restricting initial prescriptions.
On Monday, a group of 37 attorneys general called on health insurance companies to offer incentives for other forms of pain treatment including non-opioid drugs and massage, saying that as it stands now, insurers cover opioids more than other approaches to pain treatment.
The industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans said in a statement that it’s already working on using education, prevention and other means in an effort to eradicate addiction.

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States expand investigation of opioid makers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Associated Press

Attorneys general from most states are broadening their investigation into the opioid industry as a nationwide overdose crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.
They announced Tuesday that they had served subpoenas requesting information from five companies that make powerful prescription painkiller and three distributors. Forty-one attorneys general are involved.
The investigation into marketing and sales practices seeks to find out whether the industry's own actions worsened the epidemic.
If the industry cooperates, the investigation could lead to a national settlement.
“We must hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for their roles in the nationwide opioid epidemic,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. “My investigations have shown that drug companies pressure physicians into prescribing powerful, addictive drugs without regard for the law or patients’ well-being.”
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance said in a statement that it's not responsible for the volume of opioid prerscribing but that it does want to work on solving the public health crisis.
Dozens of local and state governments have already filed, announced or publicly considered lawsuits against drugmakers or distributors.

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Group of attorneys general from 41 states launches probe of drug companies in fight against opioid epidemic

Sep 19, 2017 | NY Daily News

By Ginger Adams Otis

A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from 41 states announced a new weapon Tuesday in the fight against America’s opioid crisis: a multistate investigation into drug makers and marketers.
Subpoenas and other document requests were served Monday to various manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids.
Through the bipartisan coalition, chief legal officers across the 41 states will pool resources to determine whether some the companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription drugs.
It’s a major expansion of existing investigations into the nationwide opioid epidemic, said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
“We’re committed to getting to the bottom of a broken system that has fueled the epidemic and taken far too many lives,” he said.
“My office is committed to using every tool at our disposal to curb the epidemic and get those affected by it the help they need and the justice they deserve.”
The attorneys general served subpoenas on the following pharmaceutical manufacturers and subsidiaries:
• Endo International
• Janssen Pharmaceuticals
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc.
• Allergan Inc.
The attorneys general also served a supplemental investigative subpoena on Purdue Pharma, Schneiderman said.
The companies that together manage approximately 90% of the nation's opioid distribution got hit with document requests and demands for information on distribution practices.
Those companies are:
• AmerisourceBergen
• Cardinal Health
• McKesson
Opioid distributors alone make nearly $500 billion a year in revenue, the attorneys general said.
Opioids — both prescription and illicit — are the main driver of drug overdose deaths nationwide and in New York.
They were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015 — including 2,754 in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999, the CDC said.

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Amid opioid investigation, Texas and other states demand drug company documents

Sep 19, 2017 | The Texas Tribune

By Jim Malewitz

As communities nationwide grapple with opioid addiction, Texas and a coalition of 40 other states has served investigative subpoenas and other requests to eight companies that manufacture or distribute prescription painkillers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday.
It’s the latest development in an investigation unveiled in June. Paxton and his counterparts are trying to determine whether opioid manufacturers played a role in creating or prolonging what has become a national epidemic.
The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas to drugmakers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals' Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, and they served a supplemental subpoena to Purdue Pharma, Paxton’s office said. The states also sent “information demand letters” to three opioid distributers: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
“The goal of this phase of our investigation is to collect enough information so that the multi-state coalition can effectively evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids,” Paxton said in a statement. “We’ll determine an appropriate course of action once it’s determined what role these companies may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid crisis.”
Caitlin Carroll, a spokeswoman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said Tuesday she could not comment on the investigation of individual companies, but pointed to policies her group supports to "prevent and deter abuse."
An Allergan spokesman said that company was "working cooperatively with the state attorneys general," but he downplayed the company's share of the opioid market and said it didn't aggressively promote such drugs.
"Allergan’s two branded opioid products – Norco and Kadian – account for less than 0.08 percent of all opioid products prescribed in 2016 in the U.S.," the spokesman, Mark Marmur, said. "These products came to Allergan through legacy acquisitions and have not been promoted since 2012, in the case of Kadian, and since 2003, in the case of Norco."
Opioids are a family of drugs including prescription painkillers like hydrocodone, as well as illicit drugs like heroin.
Prescription and illegal opioids account for more than 60 percent of overdose deaths in the United States, a toll that has quadrupled over the past two decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Drug overdose deaths in 2015 far outnumbered deaths from auto accidents or guns.
Texas saw 1,186 opioid-related deaths in 2015, while the nation as a whole had 33,000 such deaths that year. Researchers have flagged opioids as one possible factor in Texas’ staggering rise in women’s deaths during and shortly after pregnancy.
In teaming up to probe drug companies, some experts suggest the states are following a playbook similar to one used during the 1990s to sue tobacco companies for their role in fueling a costly health crisis — an effort that resulted in a settlement yielding more than $15 billion for Texas alone.

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S.C. attorney general joins 40 other states in demanding evidence from opioid distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Charleston City Paper

By Dustin Waters

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined top attorneys in 40 other states in requesting that distributors of prescription opioids hand over documents detailing the companies’ marketing and sales practices.

Citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, Wilson’s office says that opioids played a part in the deaths of 761 South Carolinians in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled across the county since 1999. In investigating the role that drug manufacturers and distributors may have played in the nation’s growing opioid epidemic, Wilson and other attorneys general have sent demand letters to AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.

“Opioid addiction is a public health menace to South Carolina. We cannot let history record that we stood by while this epidemic rages,” said Attorney General Wilson.

This newest step in the nationwide look at how prescription painkillers are doled out across the nation comes just more than a month after Wilson’s office filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, alleging deceptive marketing tactics, which fueled South Carolina’s opioid epidemic. According to the attorney general’s lawsuit filed in the Richland County Court of Common Pleas, OxyContin is Purdue’s best-selling opioid, with annual sales fluctuating between $2-3 billion since 2009. According to the complaint, OxyContin accounts for approximately 25 percent of spending nationwide across the entire prescription opioid market.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that prescriptions for opioids in South Carolina roughly exceed the total state population. In its lawsuit against Purdue, the state Attorney General’s Office claims that Purdue spent hundreds of millions of dollars each year to “falsely deny or trivialize the risk of addiction and overstated the benefits of opioids” and was able to persuade doctors that opioids were not addictive.

In 2007, Purdue and three of the company’s executives pled guilty to federal charges of misleading doctors, patients, and regulators regarding the risk of addiction associated with OxyContin, but attorneys claim that the legal battle did little in the way to curb Purdue’s alleged wrongdoings. According to the Attorney General’s Office, South Carolina has spent $15.8 million on Purdue opioids through its Medicaid program since late 2007 and more than $28 million from the State Health Plan has gone to Purdue opioids since 2010.

“In 2015, health care providers wrote enough opioid prescriptions to medicate every American around the clock for three weeks, and on the average day, more than 650,000 opioids prescriptions are dispensed in the U.S.,” wrote the Attorney General’s Office. “In South Carolina, for each year from 2012 through 2016, there has been more than one opioid prescription for every resident in the state. In 2016, South Carolina ranked ninth in the nation in opioid prescribing rates.”

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Subpeonas served to opioid producers in national investigation

Sep 19, 2017 | The Intelligencer

By Christopher Ullery

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday that several pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors were served with subpoenas Monday as part of a national investigation into the country's opioid abuse crisis.
The subpoenas for documents and information on business practices from the companies are a significant step forward in an investigation involving 41 attorneys general, Shapiro said.
“This multi-state group of attorneys general is the best public-interest law firm in America, and the attorneys in the Public Protection Division of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General are at the helm of this national investigation,” Shapiro said.
The companies under investigation are:Endo InternationalJanssen PharmaceuticalsTeva Pharmaceutical Industries and its U.S. subsidiary, Cephalon Inc.Allergan Inc.Perdue PharmaAmerisourceBergenCardinal HealthMcKesson
Shapiro was joined in the press conference at the Upper Dublin High School football field Tuesday morning by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Hatboro Police Chief Jim Gardner and families affected by opioid abuse.

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Eric Schneiderman: States subpoena opioid makers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Newsday

By Matthew Chayes

Attorneys general of 41 states including New York have subpoenaed opioid manufacturers and distributors in an investigation into whether the companies are responsible for addiction among users of the drugs.
State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said investigators want to take a “deep dive” into why insurers make it harder to get less addictive forms of treatment, and examine opioid marketing incentives and whether manufacturers are reporting suspicious activity adequately.
“If there is misconduct, we will proceed to litigation,” said Schneiderman, who declined to release copies of the subpoenas.
The subpoenas went to manufacturers Endo International; Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Purdue Pharma; Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries/Cephalon; and Allergan. The subpoenaed distributors are AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, Schneiderman’s office said.
Representatives of the companies could not be reached immediately for comment.
According to Schneiderman’s office, prescription and illicit opioids are the primary cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States.
Statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999, Schneiderman said.
Among New Yorkers between 15 and 44 years old, the drugs account for 32 percent of deaths in Nassau and 27 percent in Suffolk.
When prescribed legally, opioids alleviate pain.

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Maura Healey Expands Opioid Manufacturer Investigation

Sep 19, 2017 | Boston Magazine

By Jaime Ducharme

Attorney General Maura Healey is expanding an investigation into dubious practices at major opioid manufacturers and distributors, in hopes of uncovering the truth about their possible role in creating or perpetuating the opioid crisis.
The investigation builds upon work that was first announced in June and involves a bipartisan group of attorneys general across the country. Using a variety of investigative tools, the group of 39 attorneys general seeks to determine whether manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Endo, Janssen, Teva, and Allergan drove profits by misrepresenting or withholding information about the habit-forming properties and potentially dangerous consequences of their drugs. On the distribution side, they’ll examine tracking and reporting practices at AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
“We deserve to hear from these drug-makers what they knew about the addictive and deadly nature of opioid painkillers, and whether they misrepresented those risks in order to increase corporate profits,” Healey says in a statement. “We are expanding our investigation into opioid manufacturers and distributors to help uncover the roots of this deadly epidemic and protect American families and communities ravaged by this public health crisis.”
Initial investigations focused solely on Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of blockbuster painkiller OxyContin and the subject of a chilling and wide-ranging 2016 exposé by the Los Angeles Times. As Tuesday’s announcement makes clear, however, Healey and her fellow attorneys general have significantly broadened the scope of their probe.
It’s easy to see why Healey, who is spearheading several parts of the investigation, wants answers from drug companies. The opioid crisis has hit Massachusetts harder than many states, accounting for thousands of deaths in the last few years alone. In response, Healey’s office has helped to launch prevention programs in Boston public schools, crack down on heroin and fentanyl trafficking, and supply Massachusetts cities and towns with the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.

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Opioid manufacturers, distributors, target of 41-state probe

Sep 19, 2017 | Pennsylvania Live

By Steve Marroni

Pennsylvania's attorney general today announced an expansion of a major investigation into the manufactuers and distributors of prescription opioids.
And as part of this announcement, which Attorney General Josh Shapiro made at the Upper Dublin High School in Montgomery County, flanked by parents who have lost children to overdoses, he named the companies that are under investigation.
"To any parent, family or friend of someone lost to addiction, we hear you," Shapiro said in making his announcement in the investigation involving a collaboration of attorneys general from 41 states.
The opioid manufacturers under investigation are:Endo International, maker of drugs like Opana and Percocet,Janssen Pharmaceuticals, maker of the fentanyl patch Duragesic,Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and its US subsidiary, Cephalon, which manufactures generic opioids,Allergan, maker of opioids like Kadian,And Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin.
Shapiro and the attorneys general are also seeking documents and information about the business practices of companies responsible for distributing nearly 90 percent of the nation's opioids, which are:AmerisourceBergen,Cardinal Health,And McKesson.
Subpoenas have already been served as part of the multi-state investigation.
"We have the resources, expertise and legal authority to take on this fight, and we aren't letting up," Shapiro said. "We're following the evidence wherever it leads so we can change behavior and save lives. Make no mistake -- if the law was broken, this team will find it, and we will take action to change the course of this epidemic."
According to the attorney general's office, there were 4,642 fatal drug overdoses in Pennsylvania in 2016 - 13 Pennsylvanians per day. That's a 37 percent increase over 2015, and opioids are a main driver behind overdose deaths.

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Why AGs are targeting drug companies

Sep 19, 2017 | USA Today (Albany Bureau)

By Natasha Vaughn

ALBANY -- Attorneys general across the country are demanding information from pharmaceutical companies in an ongoing investigation into prescription drug abuse.
A bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general said Tuesday they have jointly filed subpoenas to major opioid distributors and manufacturers as they investigate how prescription drugs are marketed and distributed, as well as the impact it has had on the national opioid epidemic.
“Too often, prescription opioids are the on-ramp to addiction for millions of Americans. We’re committed to getting to the bottom of a broken system that has fueled the epidemic and taken far too many lives,” said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in a statement.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of overdoses on prescription opioids has more than quadrupled in the last 18 years.
Between 2010 and 2015, opioid-related overdoses in New York rose 71 percent, a review in April by the Rockefeller Institute of Government found.
The subpoenas were served to Endo International; Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc. and Allergan Inc.
Distributors who were subpoenaed were AmerisourceBergen; Cardinal Health and McKesson.

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Hawai‘i Part of Multi-State Investigation Into Opioid Epidemic

| Maui Now

Hawai‘i has joined a bipartisan coalition of states seeking documents and information today from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids.
This is part of a multi-state investigation into the nationwide opioid epidemic.
This information will let state attorneys general evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
Forty-one state attorneys general are participating in the multi-state investigations.
In Hawai‘i and across the country, opioids—both prescribed and illicit—are a main driver of drug overdose deaths.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 169 in Hawai‘i. Opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999.
“Under Gov. David Ige’s leadership, my office and the state health department are determined to educate the public here and enforce laws to prevent the spread of opioid abuse in Hawai‘i,” Attorney General Chin said.
The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information—also known as Civil Investigative Demands—on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general also sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.

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Amid opioid investigation, Texas and other states demand drug company documents

Sep 19, 2017 | The Eagle

By Jim Malewitz

As communities nationwide grapple with opioid addiction, Texas and a coalition of 40 other states has served investigative subpoenas and other requests to eight companies that manufacture or distribute prescription painkillers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday.
It’s the latest development in an investigation unveiled in June. Paxton and his counterparts are trying to determine whether opioid manufacturers played a role in creating or prolonging what has become a national epidemic.
The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas to drugmakers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals' Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, and they served a supplemental subpoena to Purdue Pharma, Paxton’s office said. The states also sent “information demand letters” to three opioid distributers: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
“The goal of this phase of our investigation is to collect enough information so that the multi-state coalition can effectively evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids,” Paxton said in a statement. “We’ll determine an appropriate course of action once it’s determined what role these companies may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid crisis.”
Caitlin Carroll, a spokeswoman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said Tuesday she could not comment on the investigation of invididual companies, but pointed to policies her group supports to "prevent and deter abuse."
An Allergan spokesman said that company was "working cooperatively with the state attorneys general," but he downplayed the company's share of the opioid market and said it didn't aggressively promote such drugs.
"Allergan’s two branded opioid products – Norco and Kadian – account for less than 0.08 percent of all opioid products prescribed in 2016 in the U.S.," the spokesman, Mark Marmur, said. "These products came to Allergan through legacy acquisitions and have not been promoted since 2012, in the case of Kadian, and since 2003, in the case of Norco."
Opioids are a family of drugs including prescription painkillers like hydrocodone, as well as illicit drugs like heroin.
Prescription and illegal opioids account for more than 60 percent of overdose deaths in the United States, a toll that has quadrupled over the past two decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Drug overdose deaths in 2015 far outnumbered deaths from auto accidents or guns.
Texas saw 1,186 opioid-related deaths in 2015, while the nation as a whole had 33,000 such deaths that year. Researchers have flagged opioids as one possible factor in Texas’ staggering rise in women’s deaths during and shortly after pregnancy.
In teaming up to probe drug companies, some experts suggest the states are following a playbook similar to one used during the 1990s to sue tobacco companies for their role in fueling a costly health crisis — an effort that resulted in a settlement yielding more than $15 billion for Texas alone.

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AGs subpoena big pharma over opioid overdose crisis

Sep 19, 2017 | Newstimes (CT)

By Rob Ryser

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and his counterparts in 39 other states have subpoenaed company records from Stamford-based Purdue Pharma and other major drug makers to determine whether the companies’ marketing and sales practices are worsening the nationwide overdose crisis.
“If there have been violations of law, we will find them and work aggressively to address them,” Jepsen said in prepared remarks on Tuesday. “We also recognize that time is our enemy and that we should pursue all means to ease this crisis as quickly as possible.”
In 2016, 917 people died of drug overdoses in Connecticut, a 26 percent increase over 2015, the state chief medical examiner’s office said. The office projects 1,000 overdose deaths this year.
The problem is peaking nationwide, causing as many as 90 deaths every day, Jepsen said. President Donald Trump has called the crisis “a national emergency.”
Purdue, which manufactures the popular opioid painkiller OxyContin, was already the target of a investigation by a coalition of attorneys general. The company has been ordered to turn over new documents, Jepsen said.
A Purdue spokesman said the company was invested in finding a solution.
“We share the attorneys’ general concern about the opioid crisis and we are cooperating with their request,” spokesman John Puskar said. “This is a multifaceted public health challenge, and we look forward to working collaboratively with government entities to be part of the solution.”
The action by the attorneys general is part of a larger effort by states and municipalities to make big pharma accountable for the overdose crisis.
Locally, New Milford, Bridgeport, Oxford and two other Connecticut communities made a verbal commitment in late August to join Waterbury’s lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and other drug makers over the opioid overdose crisis.

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A.G. Schneiderman, bipartisan coalition of A.G.s expand investigation into opioid crisis

Sep 19, 2017 | CNY Central

By Daniel Wohler

NEW YORK — A bipartisan coalition composed of 41 attorneys general from across the country, is demanding information from the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a multi-state investigation into whether these drug companies engaged in any unlawful practices in the marketing and distribution of prescription opioids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say opioids played a role in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 2,754 in New York state.
The recent investigation subpoenas mark an expansion in the attorneys general bipartisan approach to address the nationwide opioid epidemic, Schneiderman says.
“Too often, prescription opioids are the on-ramp to addiction for millions of Americans,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “We’re committed to getting to the bottom of a broken system that has fueled the epidemic and taken far too many lives. New Yorkers whose families have been torn apart by the opioid crisis deserve to know if the industry put its bottom line ahead of patient safety. My office is committed to using every tool at our disposal to curb the epidemic and get those affected by it the help they need and the justice they deserve," Schneiderman added.
According to Schneiderman, subpoenas were served by the attorneys general to the following pharmaceutical manufacturers:
• Endo International plc
• Janssen Pharmaceuticals
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./Cephalon Inc.
• Allergan Inc.
The attorneys general have also served a supplemental investigative subpoena on Purdue Pharma.
According to the attorneys general, the following opioid distribution companies - who manage approximately 90 percent of the nation's opioid distribution - were contacted for information about distribution practices:
• AmerisourceBergen
• Cardinal Health
• McKesson

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Hawai‘i Joins Investigation Into Opioid Epidemic

Sep 19, 2017 | Big Island Now

By Staff

Hawai‘i has joined a bipartisan coalition of states seeking documents and information today from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids.
This is part of a multi-state investigation into the nationwide opioid epidemic.
This information will let state attorneys general evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
Forty-one state attorneys general are participating in the multi-state investigations.
In Hawai‘i and across the country, opioids—both prescribed and illicit—are a main driver of drug overdose deaths.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 169 in Hawai‘i. Opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999.
“Under Gov. David Ige’s leadership, my office and the state health department are determined to educate the public here and enforce laws to prevent the spread of opioid abuse in Hawai‘i,” Attorney General Chin said.
The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information—also known as Civil Investigative Demands—on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general also sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.

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Texas, 40 other states join coalition to investigate U.S. opioid epidemic

Sep 19, 2017 | CW 39 News Fix

By Staff

AUSTIN, Texas – As part of an ongoing investigation into the nation’s opioid epidemic, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that Texas and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other states served investigative subpoenas and additional requests on eight companies that manufacture or distribute highly addictive painkillers.
“Protecting Texans is a top priority of my office. The goal of this phase of our investigation is to collect enough information so that the multi-state coalition can effectively evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioids,” Paxton said. “We’ll determine an appropriate course of action once it’s determined what role these companies may have played in creating or prolonging the opioid crisis.”
Paxton and his counterparts served investigative subpoenas – also known as Civil Investigative Demands – on drugmakers Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan, and their related entitites, along with a supplemental CID on Purdue Pharma. Separately, the coalition sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
Opioids are a family of drugs including prescription painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin. Nationwide and in Texas, prescription and illegal opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, including 2,588 in Texas. Opioid overdoses in the U.S. have quadrupled since 1999.
In June, Paxton and his fellow state attorneys general announced the launch of their coalition to determine whether drugmakers and distributors have broken any laws amid the deadly epidemic of opioid abuse.

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41 States To Investigate Pharmaceutical Companies Over Opioids

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State Attorney General subpoenas opioid manufacturers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Franklin Home Page

By Sarah Grace Taylor

Tennessee, in conjunction with a 41-state coalition against opioids, filed subpoenas with eight opioid manufacturers and distributors on Tuesday.
The coalition, which formed in June to combat the growing opioid crisis, is spearheaded by Tennessee State Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the group served Civil Investigative Demands — a kind of subpoena for documents — on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma Tuesday morning.
Similarly, the coalition sent information demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.
“The opioid crisis impacts all of us, and is a threat to families in every community in Tennessee and across the country,” Slatery said. “We will use all resources available to identify and hold accountable those parties responsible. There is too much at stake not to attack this problem from all sides.”
In 2016, a record 1,631 Tennesseans died of drug overdoses according to the Tennessee Department of Health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016 Tennessee had the third-highest rate of opioid prescriptions in the country, behind only Alabama and Arkansas.

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Healey, other AGs expand opioid probe to include drugmakers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | Boston Globe

By Felice J. Freyer

Attorney General Maura Healey, along with attorneys general from 38 other states, is seeking information from five opioid manufacturers and three distributors as they expand an investigation into the origins of the addiction crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.
At an announcement Tuesday in Boston, Healey said the attorneys general are looking into whether manufacturers misrepresented the dangers of prescription painkillers.
“What did they know and when did they know it?” Healey asked. “Did they know how addictive these drugs were when they sold them? Did they mislead patients . . . ignore information that could have saved lives?”
The majority of people who became addicted to opioids started with prescribed medications, which became widely available as doctors answered calls to better treat pain and received assurances that opioid painkillers were safe.
Healey said the investigation was expanding since June, when it was first announced, and for the first time revealed the names of the companies that are receiving subpoenas: Drugmakers Purdue Pharma, Endo, Janssen, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and Allergan; and distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
The attorneys general want to find out whether the three distributors, which together manage about 90 percent of US opioid distribution, properly tracked and reported suspicious orders.
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance, which represents the companies that link pharmaceutical manufacturers with pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics, said in a statement that distributors are not responsible for the volume of opioid prescribing.
“Distributors have no ability to influence what prescriptions are written,” said CEO John M. Gray. But Gray said the alliance would like to help address “this public health crisis and its root causes.”
At the announcement, Healey was surrounded by advocates and public officials who took turns decrying the toll of opioid addiction, which claimed 2,000 lives in Massachusetts last year. They welcomed the investigation by Healey and others.
“This gives hope to families and friends who have lost loved ones,” said Joanne Peterson, executive director of Learn to Cope, a support network for families dealing with addiction.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan described attending the funeral this past weekend of “a bright, promising, well-educated, happy, engaged 24-year-old. . . . You cannot help but ask, ‘Why did this happen? How did this happen?’ . . . That is what today is about.”
Dozens of local and state governments have already filed, announced, or publicly considered lawsuits against drugmakers or distributors, according to The Associated Press.
In 2007, Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, agreed to pay $600 million after pleading guilty to federal charges that it misled regulators, doctors, and patients about the drug’s risk of addiction. The company had told doctors that OxyContin was less likely to be misused because of its time release formulation, but people soon learned that chewing or crushing and injecting the drug would produce a powerful high

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Bipartisan coalition of attorneys general form to fight opioid epidemic nationwide

Sep 19, 2017 | WXXi News

By Caitlyn White

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a bipartisan coalition to investigate major opioid manufacturers and distributors.
41 attorneys general from across the country have signed on to the effort, which served subpoenas to four pharmaceutical manufacturers Monday: Endo International, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals (Cephalon), and Allergan. A supplemental investigative subpoena was served to Purdue Pharma.
The coalition is also asking for documents from AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson., the three companies that manage approximately 90% of the nation’s opioid distribution
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 80%of heroin users report that they misused prescription opioids first. Numbers that Schneiderman says are very powerful.
“Prescription opioids are the on ramp to addiction for millions of Americans."
Schneiderman says systemic change needs to happen in order to combat the nationwide opioid crisis, and they want to investigate if any of these companies engage in unlawful distribution of prescription drugs, and what incentive structures are used in sales.
"If there is any fraud or deception that’s been involved. If there’s misrepresentations being made to doctors or the public about how addictive drugs are how effective they are, we want to know about that. If distributors are not complying with their obligation to flag suspicious orders we want to know about that."
The opioid industry makes nearly $500 billion annually.
The Attorney General says it’s difficult to come by bipartisan cooperation these days and he's grateful for all those who have signed on to the multi state investigation.

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Dozens of states probe role of drug makers and distributors in the opioid crisis

Sep 19, 2017 | STAT News - Pharmalot

By Ed Silverman

A bipartisan group of 41 attorneys general are demanding information and documents from several drug makers and distributors as part of a large-scale probe into the role these companies may have played in the opioid crisis
The move is the latest effort by local and state governments to strike at industry as opioid painkillers continue to be blamed for fueling addiction and crime, and serving as a bridge to a growing heroin trade. Every day, more than 40 Americans die from overdoses of opioid painkillers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And each year, 2 million people abuse or misuse the drugs.
The remainder of the article is behind a paywall: https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2017/09/19/states-probe-opioid-crisis/

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Attorney General Cynthia Coffman joins expanded probe into opioid manufacturers, distributors

Sep 19, 2017 | The Colorado Gazette

By Ernest Luning

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is part of a broad coalition of attorneys general demanding information from opioid manufacturers and distributers as part of a multi-state investigation into the causes of the painkiller epidemic, her office said Tuesday.
A bipartisan group of 41 attorneys general served subpoenas Monday on Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals/Cephalon, Inc. and Allergan plc, and served a supplemental subpoena on Purdue Pharma, Coffman, a Republican, announced. They also sent letters asking for information from distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
The states are investigating whether the industry has engaged in illegal marketing and sales activities that contributed to a surge in opioid prescriptions and drug overdose deaths in recent decades.
"There is no magic bullet to solve this crisis, but I am committed to working with partners throughout Colorado and the country to find a solution," Coffman said in a written statement. "This investigation is another step in a continuing effort by my office to help those impacted by opioid addiction and to hold accountable those who contributed to this epidemic in violation of Colorado law."
The investigation could lead to a national settlement with the states if the industry cooperates, and there's some indication drugmakers and distributors will engage in a discussion about the matter, the Associated Press reported.
Prescription opioids were involved in more than 33,000 deaths nationwide last year - including 300 in Colorado - according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. patients receive as many as 200 million opioid prescriptions annually, and sales of the powerful painkillers nearly quadrupled between 1999 and 2014, Coffman noted.
"The scourge of opioid addiction has impacted every corner of our state," she said. "Our doctors, nurses, and first responders have been working tirelessly, oftentimes in dangerous circumstances, to save those battling addiction. Our nonprofits and government agencies have been fighting an uphill battle to help those trapped in the cycle of addiction. And our churches and schools have been shouldering a heavy burden helping to console, counsel, and educate those who've lost loved ones, including the children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to this to this deadly epidemic."
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance said in a statement that it isn't responsible for the volume of opioid prescriptions but wants to work on solving the public health crisis. In addition, drug industry representative PhRMA declined to comment on the investigation but said it's s trying to deter and prevent drug abuse, the AP reported.

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Broadcast Media Coverage

NBC 10 News at 4pm

Sep 19, 2017 | WCAU (NBC)

By Philadelphia, PA

Rough Transcript: word today of a broadening investigation by pennsylvania's attorney general and others into the manufacturing, sale and distribution of opioids. pennsylvania's attorney general made the announcement in mon montgomery county. he was joined by members of local law enforcement and also parents who lost children to overdoses. he says more than 40 ags served subpoenas requesting information for those who make powerful drugs and distribute them.

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WRAL News at 4PM

Sep 19, 2017 | WRAL (NBC)

By Raleigh-Durham, NC

Rough Transcript: the state attorney general josh stein said the role of prescription killers is getting wider. he's investigated the cause of the opioid epidemic, our capitol bureau laura leslie joins us in the studio. >>> states attorney general including stein are investigating purdue pharmaceuticals. >> today he said it's wide end to three companies that make the pills and the pharmacies. pharmaceutical makers are now included in the probe as well as opioiddistributors. these companies were reaping huge profits as millions of americans were getting addicted to the products over the 20 years. attorney general's want to know if it played any part in fueling the demand by people on the streets in america. >> we're wondering if these companies had a part in these addictive drugs and whether they misled doctors and patients about the addictive nature of these drugs. >> they'll see if whether opioiddistributors were monitoring orders by pharmacies and flagging them by law. >> they set aside $10 million to fight the epidemic in north carolina. it's a drop in the bucket. people say about four out of five of every people in jails in the state have a substance abuse disorder.

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KSTC 45 News Morning at 8am

Sep 19, 2017 | KSTC (KSTC)

By Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN

Rough Transcript: 35 states attorney general sent a letter to america's health insurance plans and they are asking insurers to make treatments like physical therapy and massage a priority. the minnesota department of health reports 376 opioid involved deaths this year. that is up 12% from 2015. across the nation there have been more than 52,000 overdose deaths most involving opioids.

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KCRA 3 News at 10am

Sep 19, 2017 | KCRA (MNT)

By Sacramento, CA

Rough Transcript: now to our state of addiction coverage california is , expanding an investigation about possible illegal practices by opioid makers. state attorney general xavier beccera has requested information from the three largest drug distributors and makers. at issue, whether the companies helped create or prolong the opioid crisis through marketing and sales. 36 other states are also investigating such practices. opioid overdoses accounted for more than 33,000 deaths in the u.s. in 2015. that includes nearly 2000 californians, the third most in the country that year.

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