A lawsuit filed against Teva Pharmaceuticals alleges that the company illegally promoted its fentanyl products Actiq and Fentora in Kentucky, helping to fuel the opioid epidemic in the state. The lawsuit was filed by the attorney general of Kentucky, which has been one of the states most severely affected by the nationwide opioid crisis.
Purdue Pharma new about the risk of addiction associated with the opioid painkiller OxyContin years before disclosing these dangers to the public, a New York lawsuit alleges. Purdue is facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of county governments in New York alleging that Purdue continued to promote OxyContin in spite of its knowledge that the…
The Texas Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has announced that it will consolidate 16 opioid lawsuits filed by county governments across Texas in a statewide multidistrict litigation (MDL). These lawsuits – filed against opioid painkiller manufacturers like Purdue Pharma and distributors such as McKesson Corp. – accuse companies involved in the sale and distribution of…
Attorneys representing babies whose mothers used prescription painkillers during pregnancy have asked the judge overseeing the nationwide opioids multidistrict litigation (MDL) to create a separate litigation track for these cases. The attorneys say that the separate track in the opioids MDL is necessary in order to allow them to present separate legal theories and address…
The family of a 50 year old Nevada municipal court judge who died in 2016 with a toxic level of the powerful painkiller fentanyl in her system has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the pain specialist who supplied her with the drug. The lawsuit, filed by the family of Judge Diana Hampton, alleges that…
The family of Matthew Roberts, former lead guitarist for the rock group 3 Doors Down, has filed a lawsuit against his doctor over allegations of improperly prescribing opioid medications that led to the musician’s death. Roberts died in 2016 of an opioid overdose caused by the drugs fentanyl and hydrocodone.
Dozens of lawsuits filed against opioid manufacturers by state and local governments have been consolidated in a federal multidistrict litigation. The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled last week that approximately 180 lawsuits filed in districts across the country would be heard by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster of the Northern District of…
A new study reveals that marketing campaigns by drug companies designed to get doctors in New Jersey to prescribe the fentanyl pain patch has led to an alarming rise in prescriptions in the state. The study found that many doctors are prescribing fentanyl to patients who are not eligible to take the drug under FDA…
The rate of opioid addiction in the US has risen by 500% over the last seven years, according to a study conducted by the insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield. The study found that more than one in five Blue Cross Blue Shield customers filled at least one prescription for opioid painkillers in 2015.
Opioid overdose deaths in some states have risen by nearly 200% over the last five years, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reported that overdose deaths caused by prescription painkillers have risen by 33% nationwide.
The risk for patients of long-term opioid use may come down to the prescribing habits of their hospital emergency room physician, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University. Researchers say that luck – rather than the medical condition of the patient – may be the biggest factor in whether patients undergo extended…
A recent study published in Canada has found a link between prescriptions for opioid painkillers and a risk of a fatal fentanyl overdose. According to the study, 60% of patients who suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose had been prescribed opioids within the last year.