opioid epidemic News

Opioid Makers, Distributors Go on Trial in New York

A landmark trial targeting multiple opioid manufacturers and distributors opened Tuesday with lawyers for the government accusing the companies of bringing death and destruction to communities. The case bought by Suffolk and Nassau counties and state Attorney General Letitia James …

U.S. Drug Enforcer Testimony Cites ‘Systemic Failure’ in Monitoring by Opioid Distributors

A retired high-ranking official with the Drug Enforcement Administration has testified that three large opioid distributors had a “systematic failure” in monitoring suspicious pill orders. Joe Rannazzisi, former head of the Office of Diversion Control for the DEA from 2006 …

Massachusetts Sues Marketing Firm for Role in Opioid Crisis

Massachusetts’ top prosecutor on Thursday sued a global marketing company that she alleges played a role in fueling the opioid epidemic. State Attorney General Maura Healey said Publicis Health designed and deployed unfair and deceptive marketing schemes to help Purdue …

Purdue Pharma’s Sacklers Increase Opioid Settlement Offer to $4.3B: Reuters

Members of the Sackler family who own Purdue Pharma LP have offered roughly $4.3 billion to resolve sprawling opioid litigation, up from $3 billion initially proposed in settlement discussions underway in the OxyContin maker’s bankruptcy proceedings, four people familiar with …

Study Shows Need for Drug Programs for Construction Workers at Risk

Construction workers are more likely to use drugs than workers in other professions, finds a study by the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at NYU College of Global Public Health. The study, published in the journal Drug and …

Settling Opioid Suits Probably Won’t End the Crisis: Viewpoint

Imagine you’re the chief executive officer of a large pharmaceutical corporation with an important drug that’s under attack. More than 2,500 lawsuits have been filed against your company. The plaintiffs aren’t individuals, though, they’re governments — counties, cities and states. …

Actuaries Estimate Four Years of Opioid Crisis Cost Economy $631 Billion

The opioid epidemic cost the U.S. economy at least $631 billion from 2015 to 2018, according to a Society of Actuaries’ (SOA) analysis of non-medical opioid use during this timeframe. The SOA report, authored by Milliman, also projected future costs …

New York AG Tells Court Opioid Crisis Damage ‘Dwarfs’ Drugmakers’ Resources

The public cost of coping with the opioid crisis in the U.S. “dwarfs” the combined resources of the companies sued for allegedly causing the epidemic, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, a lawyer for New York State told a judge. …

City of Vancouver Files Lawsuit Against Major Opioid Producers, Suppliers

The city of Vancouver has filed a lawsuit against major opioid producers and suppliers, joining a long list of cities seeking restitution for the drug’s impact on their communities. The Columbian reports the lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District …

How Medical Community Can Overcome Error of Its Ways in Opioids and Vaping: Opinion

When the medical community makes mistakes, it’s like shooting down a few hundred airplanes every year. That’s a dramatic metaphor that has stuck in my mind since I first heard it from a doctor, and an apt way to describe …