Jury Denies Drugmakers Stay Order Plea In Opioid Suit

Jury Denies Drugmakers Stay Order Plea In Opioid Suit

Introduction

A federal judge of California has ordered to resume the opioid lawsuit against multiple drugmakers and pharmacies, including Teva Pharmaceutical and Walgreens.

The lawsuit alleges that the companies created a public nuisance by fueling the ongoing opioid epidemic throughout the state. The companies filed a petition in the court to delay the proceedings of the lawsuit as it will give them sufficient time to collect evidence and prepare for the trials.

The lawsuit is a part of multidistrict litigation (MDL), and it is yet uncertain if the ruling of this case will close any of the claims in district court. The attorneys for the plaintiffs hope that at least some of the opioid claims from the MDL get resolved.

The case date backs to 2018 when the state of California and the city and county of San Francisco brought allegations against the pharmacies, opioid manufacturers, distributors and marketers of improperly dispensing prescription opioids. The companies deceptively marketed the drugs, which resulted in physicians overprescribing them, eventually resulting in the opioid crisis.

Last year, Judge Peter J. Wilson of Orange County ruled that drugmakers Allergan PLC, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its subsidiary Par Pharmaceutical Inc could not be blamed for the opioid crisis in the state and cannot be held responsible for causing a public nuisance. Even Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was a defendant in this case but was not a part of the federal suit.