The state of Alabama will not take part in a $26 billion settlement concerning lawsuits against drug companies for the opioid crisis. “Alabama is not a party to the multi-state opioid settlements,” Mike Lewis, communications director for Attorney General Steve Marshall, said. “Instead, the state continues to pursue its own legal strategy to best address the impact of the opioid crisis on Alabama.”
Alabama’s Legal Strategy
Alabama’s lawsuit against manufacturer Endo Pharmaceuticals and distributor McKesson Corporation was originally filed in 2019. It is set to begin trial on November 1st in Montgomery Country Circuit Court. Alleging deceptive marketing tactics, the lawsuit states, “Defendants needed to transform the medical and public perception to one that would permit the use of opioids not only for acute and palliative care but also for long periods of time to treat more common aches and pains, like lower back pain, arthritis, and headaches.” The state is requesting civil penalties, restitution, and punitive damages.
Reuters reported that other states that have not agreed to the settlement are Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Washington, and West Virginia. New Hampshire agreed to the settlement with the distributors but not with Johnson & Johnson.
The Opioid Crisis
According to the Associated Press (AP), in 2012, distributors shipped enough of the addictive painkillers to give every person in the country a 20-day supply. Both prescription and illegal opioids (like heroin and fentanyl) have been linked to the more than 500,000 deaths nationwide since 2000.
The AP first reported the multi-state opioid settlement in July. It is expected to involve more than 40 states and covers thousands of lawsuits filed by both state and local governments against three drug distribution companies as well as Johnson & Johnson. In the lawsuits, both state and local governments argue that drug companies did not adequately control the supply of opioids. The companies continue to deny they are to blame.
For more information about the Johnson & Johnson opioid settlement, contact us today.
Additional Reading:
Purdue Pharma’s Bankruptcy Plan In Response to Opioid Crisis
Tentative Opioid Settlement For $26 Billion Focuses on Treatment, Prevention, and Education
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to End Opioid Business With $230 Million Settlement
Tracy Everhart
Tracy Everhart is the Editor for Drug Law Journal. A highly-trained and certified medical professional, Tracy is also an accomplished medical writer. After spending years on the front lines of the medical profession, Tracy now devotes her expertise and skills to researching and reporting on new drugs and devices that enter the market, as well as their side-effects and the real-life stories involved. Prior to joining Drug Law Journal, Tracy wrote for benchmark online healthcare resources focused on families and, in particular, women’s health issues. Tracy holds post-graduate degrees from both the American College of Healthcare Sciences and the Yale School of Nursing. She is also a graduate of both Hampshire College, where she studied microbiology and the University of South Carolina school of nursing.