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New Jersey AG Suit Morning Media Update - 11/14/18
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Janssen 'Doublespeak' Fueled Opioid Crisis, NJ Suit Says
Nov 13, 2018 | Law360
By Jeff Overley
Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. fanned the flames of the opioid crisis by using an elaborate campaign of deceptive marketing, including “doublespeak” that touted the company’s opioid painkillers as unlike most opioids, New Jersey alleged in a suit filed Tuesday. -
Janssen Sued by NJ Over Opioid Sales, Marketing Practices
Nov 13, 2018 | New Jersey Law Journal
By Michael Booth
The state of New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals claiming the company used deceptive practices in the sale of two powerful opioids, Nucynta and Nucynta ER. -
Opioid epidemic: New Jersey sues Johnson & Johnson subsidiary over deceptive marketing (UPDATED)
Nov 13, 2018 | North Jersey Record
By Lindy Washburn
New Jersey targeted one of the state's most important industries Tuesday, filing suit against a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson for its role in fueling an accelerating opioid crisis that has claimed more than 2,600 lives in the state this year. -
State sues Johnson & Johnson subsidiary for deceptively marketing opioids
Nov 13, 2018 | NJTV News
By Michael Aron
The state Attorney General’s Office has sued two opioid manufacturers this year, but never one based in New Jersey. That changed Tuesday when Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed a 97-page complaint against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Raritan-based subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. -
Johnson & Johnson subsidiary sued for deceiving public
Nov 13, 2018 | 69 News (WFMZ)
By Emma Wright
New Jersey's attorney general Grubir Grewal is suing a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. -
NJ SAYS DRUG COMPANY LIED ABOUT ITS OPIOIDS BEING SAFER
Nov 13, 2018 | New Jersey 101.5
By David Matthau
The state of New Jersey has filed a five-count lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, alleging it lied about 2 of its opioid painkillers to increase its bottom line. -
New Jersey attorney general sues drug company for 'deceiving' customers on opioid dangers
Nov 13, 2018 | WABC
By Anthony Johnson
The State of New Jersey is taking on the opioid crisis by suing a pharmaceutical company. -
Grewal Announces Suit Against NJ Based Opioid Manufacturer
Nov 13, 2018 | WGBO
By Ang Santos
The New Jersey Attorney General's office is suing Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging the company deceived consumers about the dangers of its opioid painkillers. It’s the first such case brought by the Office against a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey. -
NJ attorney general sues opioid company over marketing
Nov 13, 2018 | News 12 New Jersey
By Staff
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that the state is suing pharmaceutical company Janssen due to claims that the company misled its customers when it to comes to opioids. -
Attorney General Claims Drugmaker Increased Comp, Health Care Costs
Nov 14, 2018 | Workcompcentral
By Staff
A lawsuit filed by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal against Janssen Pharmaceuticals claims the drugmaker deceptively marketed its opioid products, driving up the cost of health insurance and workers’ compensation coverage for state employers. -
FiOS1 News Morning Edition
Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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Good Day New York
Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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News 12 New Jersey
Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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Chasing News
Nov 14, 2018 | Philadelphia, PA
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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WHYY-AM (Radio)
Nov 14, 2018 | Philadelphia, PA
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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Nov 14, 2018 | Cincinnati, OH
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
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Traditional Media Coverage
Broadcast Media Coverage
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Janssen 'Doublespeak' Fueled Opioid Crisis, NJ Suit Says
Nov 13, 2018 | Law360
By Jeff Overley
Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. fanned the flames of the opioid crisis by using an elaborate campaign of deceptive marketing, including “doublespeak” that touted the company’s opioid painkillers as unlike most opioids, New Jersey alleged in a suit filed Tuesday.
New Jersey’s 100-page complaint blamed Janssen, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, for “crushing” health care costs related to misuse of Nucynta and Nucynta ER, which contain the active ingredient tapentadol. Janssen began selling the Nucynta products in 2008 and 2011, respectively, and pushed them with marketing schemes premised on bogus statements about risks and benefits, the complaint said.
Among many improper actions, Janssen allegedly tried to make the Nucynta pain relievers seem safer and milder than other prescription opioids, such as Purdue Pharma LP’s OxyContin, by claiming that the Nucynta products were “unlike traditional opioids” and possessed “non-opioid” properties.
“This doublespeak ... masked the reality that Nucynta and Nucynta ER are not milder and are not less addictive” than other opioids categorized under Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act, Tuesday’s suit said.
The suit was filed under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the New Jersey False Claims Act and the common law ban on creating public nuisances. It seeks financial relief for costs related to the state’s Medicaid program, health plans for state employees and a workers’ compensation program.
“Remediating the opioid crisis requires tremendous financial resources,” and “the burden of those costs should be shared by Janssen,” the suit said.
Janssen quickly fired back on Tuesday, saying in a statement that its marketing was “appropriate and responsible” and that the state’s allegations are “baseless and unsubstantiated.”
New Jersey has previously hit other drugmakers, including Purdue and Insys Therapeutics Inc., with similar suits over opioid marketing. Many other states have launched comparable suits of their own, and hundreds of cities and counties are battling opioid sellers — including Janssen — in multidistrict litigation centralized in Ohio federal court.
Tuesday’s complaint alleged marketing via “front groups” allegedly designed to lend “seemingly independent credibility” to Janssen’s promotional messages. The complaint also objected to specific pieces of marketing literature, such as a brochure that listed serious addiction risks as one of several “opioid myths.”
New Jersey's suit also provided examples of patients who allegedly got improper opioid prescriptions as a result of Janssen’s marketing. In one example, it said a patient with muscle pain and joint inflammation received 125 prescriptions for nearly 2,800 days worth of Nucynta product doses over the course of four years, resulting in almost $50,000 of expenses for the state.
Janssen in 2015 sold the U.S. rights to its Nucynta products for $1 billion to Depomed Inc., which is now known as Assertio Therapeutics Inc.
New Jersey is represented by Gurbir Grewal and Patricia Schiripo of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and Betsy Miller and Victoria Nugent of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC.
Counsel information for Janssen was not immediately available.
The case is Grewal et al. v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al. in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey, Chancery Division, County of Mercer. The case number was not immediately available. -
Janssen Sued by NJ Over Opioid Sales, Marketing Practices
Nov 13, 2018 | New Jersey Law Journal
By Michael Booth
The state of New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals claiming the company used deceptive practices in the sale of two powerful opioids, Nucynta and Nucynta ER.
The complaint was filed Tuesday in Mercer County Superior Court but has not been made public, in part because Janssen contends that it contains confidential company information since it is based on internal company documents, according to a release from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s office.
The state has asked in a motion that the complaint be made public, according to the release, which pressed Janssen to release the documents on its own.
Janssen, meanwhile, is contending that it acted appropriately in marketing the products, which were launched in 2011.
“Janssen helped fuel a public health crisis unlike any other our state has faced,” Grewal said in a statement. “The public has a right to know about Janssen’s efforts to mislead healthcare providers and patients, and we will fight any effort to keep today’s filing hidden from view. Janssen’s conduct was illegal, and details about it should not be kept confidential.”
Grewal said this is the first such case brought by the state against a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey.
The lawsuit charges violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the New Jersey False Claims Act, and the common-law prohibition against creation of a public nuisance.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and alleges that Janssen’s marketing campaign minimized the addictive risks of the drugs and claimed they were less addictive than other opioids.
The lawsuit also claims Janssen’s campaign was designed to push long-term opioid use, asserting that “[M]any studies show that opioids are rarely addictive when used properly for the management of chronic pain.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the company targeted the elderly and nonopioid users.
The complaint notes that New Jersey bears the cost of prescription drug coverage for low- and moderate-income residents through its Medicaid programs; for active and retired state employees through two different privately administered health plans; and for state employees injured on the job, via workers’ compensation benefits. The office claims the state spent an estimated $12.5 million on claims for Nucynta or Nucynta ER between 2010 and 2017.
The complaint said Janssen, along with other opioid manufacturers, “successfully changed the overall medical and public perception of opioids to something not solely for treatment of acute pain and end-of-life care, but also for long-term treatment of chronic pain conditions.”
Janssen sold its U.S. license rights for Nucynta and Nucynta ER to Depomed, now known as Assertio Therapeutics Inc., for a reported $1.05 billion in 2015.
The state has retained Cohen Milstein for assistance, the statement said.
Janssen issued a statement after the lawsuit was filed.
“Our actions in the marketing and promotion of these medicines were appropriate and responsible. The labels for our prescription opioid pain medicines provide information about their risks and benefits, and the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated,” the company said. “In fact, since 2008, our opioid medications have accounted for less than one percent of the U.S. market for this class of medications (including generics).
“Opioid abuse and addiction are serious public health issues. We are committed to being part of the ongoing dialogue and to doing our part to find ways to address this crisis.”
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Opioid epidemic: New Jersey sues Johnson & Johnson subsidiary over deceptive marketing (UPDATED)
Nov 13, 2018 | North Jersey Record
By Lindy Washburn
New Jersey targeted one of the state's most important industries Tuesday, filing suit against a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson for its role in fueling an accelerating opioid crisis that has claimed more than 2,600 lives in the state this year.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced a five-count lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. for a multi-year "scheme designed to deceive doctors and patients about two of the company’s opioid products."
The company's representatives blanketed the state with personal visits to health care providers while "knowing full well that its products carried high risk for addiction and abuse," Grewal said.
The lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals is the third filed by the state against an opioid manufacturer and the first against a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey.
Janssen, with its main offices in Raritan Township in Hunterdon County, employs 40,000 people worldwide. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Most disturbing "is how much of the illegal conduct took place in our own backyard," Grewal said at a Newark news conference. "New Jersey's pharmaceutical industry may be the envy of the world, but we cannot turn a blind eye when a major corporation like Janssen violates our laws and threatens the lives of our residents."
Johnson & Johnson, the parent company, was not named in the lawsuit, but Grewal did not rule out including the company if it was found to be "aware of and involved in" the marketing campaign.
"We'll hold everyone accountable no matter who they are or where they operate," he said.
The suit alleges that Janssen contributed to a cultural shift among doctors and patients who came to regard opioid painkillers as appropriate for long-term use in the treatment of chronic pain, instead of as a treatment for acute pain and end-of-life care.
Janssen began marketing Nucynta in 2008 and and Nucynta ER in 2011, claiming that they were less addictive and safer than other prescription opioids, the attorney general said. It sold its U.S. rights to the drugs in 2015 for more than $1 billion.
Of particular concern was the company's focus on expanding its market share by targeting the elderly and people who had not used opioids before, the lawsuit said.
It did this through sham organizations like the "Let's Talk Pain" Coalition and websites such as "PrescribeResponsibly.com" that conceal the company's role, the lawsuit claimed. Its pamphlets falsely debunked so-called opioid myths by saying "many studies show that opioids are rarely addictive when properly used for the management of chronic pain."
These claims had no scientific evidence to back them up, said Paul R. Rodriguez, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Four out of five heroin addicts started with prescription painkillers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
New Jersey has had 2,690 deaths from opioid overdoses this year, as of Nov. 4, according to statistics kept by the Attorney General's Office. That already is 90 more deaths than in all of last year.
The state spent an estimated $12.5 million on claims for the two drugs submitted to the state’s employee insurance plans between 2010 and 2017, and an additional $800,000 on such claims to Medicaid and the state’s workers’ compensation program, the lawsuit said.
In one case highlighted, the state spent $48,000 on Janssen’s products for a single member of the state Employee Health Plan who received 125 prescriptions for Nucynta and Nucynta ER — a more than 2,700-day supply — during a one-year period. The patient’s health care provider had received hundreds of visits from a Janssen sales rep, the complaint said.
The state seeks payment to abate the problem Janssen’s deceptive marketing practice created, damages for false claims, civil penalties and a share of Janssen’s “ill-gotten gains.”
A redacted copy of the lawsuit was submitted for filing in state Superior Court in Mercer County on Tuesday. The company has claimed that the internal memos cited in the lawsuit would reveal proprietary information and trade secrets, but Grewal said he was calling upon them to make the unredacted version available to the public.
This is the third lawsuit the state has filed against a manufacturer of opioid pain medication. Last October, the administration of former Gov. Chris Christie sued Insys Therapeutics for broadly marketing its prescription opioid-fentanyl medication, Subsys, to a larger audience than its approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration allowed.
And in November, the state sued Purdue Pharma LP, the drug-making giant that produces Oxycontin.
Twelve other states have sued Janssen, the attorney general said.
Overdose deaths from opioids, including prescription opioids and heroin, have increased more than fivefold since 1999. Overdoses involving opioids killed more than 42,000 people in 2016, and 40 percent of those deaths were from prescription opioids.
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State sues Johnson & Johnson subsidiary for deceptively marketing opioids
Nov 13, 2018 | NJTV News
By Michael Aron
The state Attorney General’s Office has sued two opioid manufacturers this year, but never one based in New Jersey. That changed Tuesday when Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed a 97-page complaint against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Raritan-based subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
“We allege that for years Janssen, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, aggressively and deceptively marketed its prescription opioid products to the people of New Jersey, knowing full well that its products carried a high risk for addiction and for abuse,” Grewal said.
Grewal said over an eight year period Janssen marketed two pain relievers — Nucynta and Nucynta ER, or extended release — as safer than other opioids like OxyContin and fentanyl.
He said the company paid doctors to give speeches and testimonials for the drug’s relative safety, when in fact the company knew that its product was just as addictive as other opioid pain killers. He issued a warning.
“Our message is clear, if you violate our laws, if you illegally push opioids for profit, we will hold you accountable, no matter who you are and no matter where you operate,” he said.
The complaint is civil, not criminal. The state is seeking civil penalties, restitution and damages.
Janssen sold its rights to Nucynta in 2015 for $1 billion, so the action is aimed at punishing the company for past behavior.
According to the lawsuit, in one of Janssen’s marketing materials the company wrote, “Many studies show that opioids are rarely addictive when used properly for the management of chronic pain.”
“Janssen’s representatives promoted Nucynta and Nucynta ER as safer, milder, and less addictive than competitor opioids like Oxycontin, but Janssen’s statements were unsupported and misleading,” said Paul Rodriguez, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
“They funded bogus research. They pushed bogus theories like pseudo-addiction, things that have been debunked. They positioned Nuynta and Nucynta ER as a safer alternative to other, more powerful opioid drugs,” Grewal said.
Janssen did not respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday morning in Mercer County. Company records are included in the complaint but are redacted in places. Grewal is asking the judge and the company to un-redact those portions for the sake of transparency.
Before today, Grewal’s predecessor Chris Porrino had filed lawsuits against Insys Therapeutics and Purdue Pharma.
The parent company Johnson & Johnson was not named in the suit, but Grewal said if it turns out they were part of the fraud he’ll go after them too.
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Johnson & Johnson subsidiary sued for deceiving public
Nov 13, 2018 | 69 News (WFMZ)
By Emma Wright
New Jersey's attorney general Grubir Grewal is suing a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Grewal says Janssen Pharmaceuticals used deceptive marketing tactics and fake science to push the sale of opioid painkillers to treat chronic pain in elderly people in an attempt increase sales. Janssen Pharmaceuticals has offices in Somerset County.
In a lawsuit, the AG's office alleges Janssen marketed two painkillers, Nucynta and Nucynta ER, for eight years before selling the product for a billion dollars in 2015.
"We're entitled to our cost of treating this epidemic. We're entitled to the cost of the profits they earned from these products,” Grubir said.
The lawsuit says the company minimized the addictive risks of opioids and paid doctors to give speeches touting the products' benefits. Janssen is the third pharmaceutical company New Jersey has sued.
The attorney general calls opioid addiction an unprecedented crisis in the state and says nearly 3,000 people have died from overdoses this year.
In a statement sent to 69 News Janssen said in part, "Our actions in the marketing and promotion of these medicines were appropriate and responsible. The labels for our prescription opioid pain medicines provide information about their risks and benefits, and the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated."
The New Jersey attorney general said there are a dozen pending lawsuits against Janssen filed in other states.
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NJ SAYS DRUG COMPANY LIED ABOUT ITS OPIOIDS BEING SAFER
Nov 13, 2018 | New Jersey 101.5
By David Matthau
The state of New Jersey has filed a five-count lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, alleging it lied about 2 of its opioid painkillers to increase its bottom line.
The lawsuit targets statements the company made about Nucynta and Nucynta ER. According to State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Janssen deliberately misled the public about the dangers associated with the drugs, and helped to fuel what has become the worst public health crisis in New Jersey history.
By the end of this year, the opioid abuse overdose death rate in the Garden State is expected to top 3,000.
The lawsuit alleges Janssen “aggressively and deceptively marketed its prescription opioid products to the people of New Jersey, knowing full well it’s products carried a high risk for addiction and for abuse," Grewal said.
“Our lawsuit details a years-long scheme designed to deceive doctors and patients about two of the company’s opioid products.”
He said the company set up what amounted to bogus websites and paid doctors to make speeches in support of the opioid medications.
“We allege that Janssen masterminded a public relations campaign to undermine accepted medical practices and used a network of sales representatives to push its misleading marketing," Grewal said.
He said the suit alleges Janssen “quietly funded front organizations that peddled its bogus medical theories.”
Paul Rodriguez, the director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, said the company routinely portrayed Nucynta and Nucynta ER as being unlike traditional opioids, claiming they were safer and less addictive than other opioids, “but Janssen’s statements were unsupported and misleading. There were no valid clinical studies to prove their claims.”
He said in reality “Nucynta and Nucynta ER are not milder and are not less addictive. They are narcotic drugs that have a high potential for abuse.”
Grewal said Janssen even went so far as to target elderly nursing home and hospital patients with its misinformation.
The 97-page complaint, filed in Mercer County Superior Court, charges multiple violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the New Jersey False Claims Act and the common-law prohibition against the creation of a public nuisance.
The suit asks for an unspecified amount of money in civil penalties, and damages for false claims.
Additionally the suit seeks to require that the company halts all unlawful practices under the Consumer Fraud Act, correct its misrepresentations, and “abate the public nuisance that its deceptive marketing has been a substantial factor in creating.”
Grewal added many internal company documents have not been made public, but the State is asking the court to allow them to published.
He said the company earned huge amounts of money on its opioid medications, then the company “cashed in one last time in 2015 when it sold the rights to Nucynta and Nucynta ER, collecting more than a billion dollars in the process.”
He pointed out this is the third lawsuit his office has brought against a pharmaceutical company, and said the message being sent it clear.
“If you violate our laws, if you illegally push opioids for profit, we will hold you accountable, no matter who you are, and no matter where you operate," Grewal said. “We’ll hold you accountable whether you’re breaking the law on a street corner, in an exam room or in a corner office.”
When asked to comment on the lawsuit and its damaging allegations, a spokesperson for Janssen Pharmaceuticals issued a statement that says:
Our actions in the marketing and promotion of these medicines were appropriate and responsible. The labels for our prescription opioid pain medicines provide information about their risks and benefits, and the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated. In fact, since 2008, our opioid medications have accounted for less than one percent of the U.S. market for this class of medications (including generics).
"Opioid abuse and addiction are serious public health issues. We are committed to being part of the ongoing dialogue and to doing our part to find ways to address this crisis."
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New Jersey attorney general sues drug company for 'deceiving' customers on opioid dangers
Nov 13, 2018 | WABC
By Anthony Johnson
The State of New Jersey is taking on the opioid crisis by suing a pharmaceutical company.
The State Attorney General says Janssen Pharmaceuticals didn't disclose how addictive some of their drugs could be.
The New Jersey-based company is facing a host of civil penalties for allegedly using deceptive practices to push drugs that are as dangerous as OxyContin and Fentanyl.
The five-count lawsuit accuses the company of deceiving customers, especially seniors, about two of its opioid products that can be highly addictive.
Nucynta and Nucynta ER were promoted as being safer and less addictive than other opioid-based relief medications. State officials say that is inaccurate and the medications have a high potential for abuse.
The state filed a 97-page complaint in superior court claiming in part that Janssen should repay the state for money low and moderate income residents used through Medicaid programs to buy the drugs.
The AG says the actions by the drug company helped to fuel the opioid crisis in the state which has claimed more than 3,000 lives this year.
The company denies the allegations and released the following statement:
Our actions in the marketing and promotion of these medicines were appropriate and responsible. The labels for our prescription opioid pain medicines provide information about their risks and benefits, and the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated. In fact, our medications have some of the lowest rates of abuse among this class of medications.
Opioid abuse and addiction are serious public health issues. We are committed to being part of the ongoing dialogue and to doing our part to find ways to address this crisis. -
Grewal Announces Suit Against NJ Based Opioid Manufacturer
Nov 13, 2018 | WGBO
By Ang Santos
The New Jersey Attorney General's office is suing Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging the company deceived consumers about the dangers of its opioid painkillers. It’s the first such case brought by the Office against a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey.
“We allege that Janssen masterminded a public relations campaign to undermine accepted medical practices. It used a network of sales representatives to push it’s misleading marketing. It quietly funded front organizations that peddled it’s bogus theories,” said NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
Janssen sold the rights to its opioid drugs Nucynta and Nucynta ER in 2015, but Grewal says the complaint stems from a lengthy investigation into the company’s marketing practices.
“Including evidence found in internal company documents. Documents that were never previously made public. Court rules required us to black out this information.”
Grewal is calling on the company to allow the public access to the full, unredacted documents.
“We’re seeking a judgement requiring Janssen to pay the public for a crisis it helped to cause. And we are demanding that the company pay civil penalties and disgorge it’s ill-gotten gains," Grewal said.
In a written statement, Janssen Pharmaceuticals addresses opioids as a serious public health issue and says the state’s claims are baseless.
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NJ attorney general sues opioid company over marketing
Nov 13, 2018 | News 12 New Jersey
By Staff
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that the state is suing pharmaceutical company Janssen due to claims that the company misled its customers when it to comes to opioids.
The lawsuit is about the drugs Nucynta and Nucynta ER. Grewal claims that the company, which is owned by Johnson and Johnson, engaged in a long list of deceptive practices to increase sales of the drugs. The attorney general says that the company committed fraud in its marketing of the two opioid drugs.
“They funded bogus research. They pushed bogus theories like pseudo-addiction, things that have been debunked. They position Nucynta and Nucynta ER as a safer alternative to other, more powerful opioid drugs…when in fact they were the same types of opioid drugs,” Grewal said.
Janssen sold the rights to both drugs in 2015 for $1 billion. The attorney general is looking to get back some of that money calling it “ill-gotten gains.”
News 12 New Jersey reached out to Janssen for comment, but did not hear back.
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Attorney General Claims Drugmaker Increased Comp, Health Care Costs
Nov 14, 2018 | Workcompcentral
By Staff
A lawsuit filed by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal against Janssen Pharmaceuticals claims the drugmaker deceptively marketed its opioid products, driving up the cost of health insurance and workers’ compensation coverage for state employers.
A.G. Gurbir S. Grewal Grewal announced the lawsuit against the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Tuesday. He claimed that Janssen falsely claimed that its Nucynta and Nucynta ER products were safer, milder and less addictive than other opioids, and minimized the risks of opioids generally. The suit demanded...
The remainder of this article is under paywall at: https://www.workcompcentral.com/news/article/id/f57038676991d0184eb3f0d85818cf38a4f99dd1
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By FIOS1NJ (FIOS 1)
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Rough Transcript: yesterday-- state attorny general grubir grewal announced a lawsuit against janssen pharmaceutica ls in raritan.it involves the drugs nucynta and nucynta- e-r the lawsuit claims the company deceived patents by minimizing the risk of opiods in general -- and attempting to make its opiods appear different from others-- by promoting them as safer, milder and less addictive. gurbir grewal new jersey attorney general "we allege that fo years janssen pharmaceuticals inc., a subsidiary of johnson & johnson, aggressively and deceptively marketed it's prescription opioid products to the people of nj knowing full well that its products carried a high risk for addiction and abuse." the complaint asks that janssen pay civil penalties, repay its ill- gotten gains, and pay damages for false claims submitted to the state.janssen did sell the drugs in question back in 2015 for a billion dollars but the attorneygeneral says they still have to be held accountable for the damage they caused.
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By WPIX (CW)
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Rough Transcript: new jersey is taking legal action against a subsidiary of johnson johnson the company accused of contravening contributing to the opioid epidemics state attorney general gerber grew all has announced a lawsuit now against jansen pharmaceuticals the lawsuitclaims the company ran a sophisticated campaign to deceive the about the dangers of opioids investigators say that led to the overprescription of painkillers new jersey now seeking financial damages that will go towards addiction prevention and treatment
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By WNYW (Fox)
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Rough Transcript: meanwhile, new jersey's attorney general is suing opioid drug maker geraldo said janssen pharmaceuticals marketed its prescription opioid products destructively for big profits. calling them safer and less addictive. he's accused of funding fake studies about the drugs. the attorney general wants janssen to stop what he caused donna calls deceptive marketing and pay military penalties.e sold the rights to the drugs ã ãit's not commented get on the lawsuit.
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By N12NJ (News 12)
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Rough Transcript: the state attorney general has filed a lawsuit against janssen, a pharmaceutical manufacturer owned by johnson and johnson. the a-g claims janssen committed fraud in its marketing of two opioids. he says they engaged in deceptive practices to increase sales of the drugs. janssen sold the rights to both drugs in 2015 for one billion dollars. the ag is looking to get back some of that money. "they funded bogus resaarch they pushed bogus theories like psuedo addiction, things that have been debunked. they position nucynta and nucynta er as a safer alternative to other more powerful opioid drugs as the director mentioned when in fact they were the same types of opioid drugs." news 12 new jersey reached out to janssen for a comment on the lawsuit but have not yet heard back.
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Nov 14, 2018 | Philadelphia, PA
By WTXF (Fox)
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Rough Transcript: new jersey attorney general is suing the johnson & johnson subsidiary. >> once they release the information and pay damages in the company's part of the fuming this public health crisis.
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By WCBS-AM (CBS Radio)
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Rough Transcript: johnson and johnson subsidiary in new jersey is being sued by new jersey for a leisurely deceiving patients about the safety of pain killers and how addictive they are here sean adams according to new jersey's attorney general the seeds of the o. p. o. it epidemic were planted in part right in new jersey's own backyard the state has filed a lengthy lawsuit against johnson and johnsonsubsidiary jansen pharmaceuticals and raton alleging deceptive marketing in pushing a couple of its hope your a pain medications attorney general ger beer great wall they funded bogus research they push bogus theories like pseudo addiction things that have been the bomb they said %hesitation that they position dissent and dissent that you are as a safer alternative tell they're more %hesitation you know powerful okura drugs as the director mentioned when in fact they were the same types of %hesitation puree drugs jansen defends its marketing practices and refutes the allegations this is the third such lawsuit filed by new jersey as it attempts to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the addiction crisis
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Nov 14, 2018 | Philadelphia, PA
By WHYY (NPR)
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Rough Transcript: new jersey's attorney general says the state is filing a lawsuit against jansen pharmaceuticals for allegedly deceiving consumers about the dangers of two opie %hesitation a products ones marketed by its subsidiary johnson and johnson w. h. i. lies and santos reports attorney general curb your great wall says jensen violated the new jersey consumer fraud act the state false claims act and the common law prohibition against creates he should have a public nuisance in the way marketed rubio introduce into and houston t. e. r. were seeking a judgment requiring jansen to pay the public for a crisis it helped to costs we are demanding that the company pays civil penalties and disgorging it's ill gotten gains in a written statement jets and pharmaceutical says the state's claims are unsubstantiated and the company's medications have some of the lowest rates of abuse among pope your it's the farm suitable company sold the rights to new
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By WINSAM (WINS)
Video Link: https://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/1fde134d-078f-450b-8fa1-37e76249526f?token=4ef6530e-e0fe-4a57-b9f3-5b4e8d1a26eb
Rough Transcript: new jersey state attorney general is going after one of the state's biggest employers johnson and johnson agee ger beer gray wong filing a ninety seven page complaining as j. and j. subsidiary jansen pharmaceuticals accusing it of deceiving consumers and doctors are lawsuit details a years long scheme designed to deceive doctors and patients about two of the company's %hesitation good products the center innocent he are the agee says jansen specifically targeted the elderly and the deal p. o. a naive to expand its painkiller market share give them false information to get them the by more pills jansons accused of setting up sham organizations like the let's talk pain coalition and websites like prescribe responsibly dot com the battle false information about the dangers of their pills
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Nov 14, 2018 | Cincinnati, OH
By WKRC (WKRC)
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Rough Transcript: new jersey's attorney general is suing us of sugary of johnson and johnson in connection to the opie ord crisis jane's flip and has more to other states texas and kentucky have already sue jansen pharmaceuticals wholly owned by new jersey based johnson andjohnson attorney general bray wall says jansen help further a culture of pill pushing and addiction with profit the goal they funded bogus research they push bogus theories like pseudo addiction things that have been the bond jansen says that the claims are baseless and counter that their pain killers are some of the least abused great wall says he could target other companies as the %hesitation purely crisis continues
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Nov 14, 2018 | New York, NY
By WNYCFM (NPR)
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Rough Transcript: new jersey's attorney general in sealing a subsidiary of the new brunswick based johnson and johnson for playing down the risks of o. p. o. a pain killers attorney general bir veer gray wall announced the lawsuit against chance in pharmaceuticals today he's accusing the drug maker a easing on brand it marketing campaigns to push it products and targeting the elderly we can't turn a blind eye when a new jersey company like jansen violates our laws and threatens the lives of our residents gray wall is seeking unspecified damages to help cover the cost of addiction treatment services johnson and johnson is not yet responded to a requests for comment
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