Category: opioid

California Judge Rules 4 Drug Manufacturers Cannot Be Held Liable for Fueling Statewide Opioid Epidemic

A California judge on Monday ruled that four drug manufacturers cannot be held liable for fueling the widespread opioid epidemic in the state, dealing a significant blow to the $50 billion case. Attorneys representing three counties in California—Orange, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles, plus the city of Oakland—filed the lawsuit in 2014. They argued that the drug companies Endo International Plc.,…


California Judge Rules 4 Drugmakers Can’t Be Held Liable for Fueling Statewide Opioid Epidemic

A California judge on Nov. 1 ruled that four drug manufacturers can’t be held liable for fueling the widespread opioid epidemic in the state, dealing a significant blow to the $50 billion case. Attorneys representing three counties in California—Orange, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles, plus the city of Oakland—filed the lawsuit in 2014. They argued that the drug companies Endo International…


Publicis Loses Bid to Escape Massachusetts Opioid Marketing Lawsuit

BOSTON—A unit of French advertising company Publicis Groupe SA on Friday lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit by Massachusetts’ attorney general claiming it helped OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic. Publicis Health had called Attorney General Maura Healey’s lawsuit an unprecedented attempt to sue an advertising agency over a manufacturer’s…


Johnson & Johnson Settles Opioid Claims In Texas For $291.8 Million

Johnson & Johnson and its U.S.-based Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies have reached a $291.8 million settlement with the Texas state government that resolves its opioid-related claims made against the companies. What Happened Johnson & Johnson will pay its settlement sum into the Qualified Settlement Fund, which represents Texas’s allocation of the Global Prescription Opioid Litigation Settlement Agreement announced on…


New Bill From Sens. Grassley, Ossoff Aims to Combat Opioid Epidemic in Rural Areas

A new bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate is aimed at fighting the opioid epidemic in rural areas of the United States. Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) teamed to introduce the bill (pdf), which is called the Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. Among the provisions are codifying a Department of Justice program that…


Sens. Grassley, Ossoff Introduce Bill to Fight Opioid Epidemic in Rural Areas

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate is aimed at fighting the opioid epidemic in rural areas of the United States. Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have teamed to introduce the proposal (pdf), which is called the Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. Among the provisions are codifying a Department of Justice program that…


Comic Fuquan Johnson, Two Others Die in Possible Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine Overdose in Venice Beach

VENICE—Comedian Fuquan Johnson and two other people died after apparently overdosing on cocaine laced with fentanyl at a home in Venice, and comedian and model Kate Quigley was in critical condition, according to multiple reports Sept. 5. Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 12:04 a.m. on Sept. 4 to a home in the 200 block of Carroll Canal,…


Judge Set to Rule on Purdue Pharma’s Opioid Settlement Plan

A federal bankruptcy judge is expected to rule Wednesday on whether to accept a settlement between OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, the states and thousands of local governments over an opioid crisis that has killed a half-million Americans over the last two decades. If Judge Robert Drain confirms the plan, estimated to be valued at $10…


Deep Dive (July 22): Attorneys General Detail $26 Billion Opioid Lawsuit Settlement

President Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure package is in limbo after Senate Republicans blocked a debate on it. But many remain optimistic as a vote is expected to take place Monday. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said, “We’re voting ‘no’ today because we’re not ready, but we’re saying we do want to take up this bill as soon…


NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 22)

A senior U.S. official said the Biden administration will announce new sanctions on Thursday against Cuban officials who cracked down on protesters. Democrats are pushing for immigration reforms that would allow a path to citizenship for the estimated 11-million illegal immigrants in the U-S. Though some Republicans say that will invite even more immigrants to…