N.J., Alaska Latest States To Sue Opioid-Maker For Its Role In Epidemic
More and more states and counties are using the court system to go after pharmaceutical companies for their opioid marketing techniques. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's opioid commission won't be asking for any new funding with its blueprint to battle the crisis, but the Senate health committee chairman says he expects Congress will provide more money to fight the epidemic.
Bloomberg:
New Jersey Joins States Suing Purdue Pharma For Opioid Marketing
With more and more states going after pharmaceutical companies over the opioid crisis, New Jersey is getting in on the action. State Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Purdue Pharma Inc., maker of the widely known opioid OxyContin. The suit accuses the company of helping foster substance abuse through a "dangerously false" marketing campaign about the risks and benefits of the drugs. (Smythe, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
New Jersey Sues OxyContin Maker, Claims It Misled Public
State Attorney General Christopher Porrino says the five-count lawsuit against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma and two of its entities seeks undisclosed monetary damages for fraud and false claims. Purdue Pharma issued a statement saying it “vigorously denies” the allegations. The company said it’s deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and is dedicated to being part of the solution. (Shipkowski, 10/31)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Jersey And Alaska Sue Purdue Pharma For Opioid Marketing
Last year, New Jersey reported more than 2,000 overdose deaths, and the large majority were opioid related, Mr. Porrino’s office said. “When people ask ‘How did we get here, how did we get to an epidemic in New Jersey at this level?’ I think part of the answer lies in the complaint we filed today,” Mr. Porrino said in a release. Alaska, with a far smaller population, said it had 96 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2016, and that the number of such overdoses is climbing. Treatment programs across Alaska report that more than half—and up to 90%—of their heroin-addicted patients started with prescription painkillers, according to the state’s lawsuit. (King and Randazzo, 10/31)
Politico:
Trump Opioid Panel Ducks Question Of New Money
President Donald Trump’s opioid commission will call Wednesday for big boosts in substance abuse treatment programs but stop short of asking for new funding that federal and state officials say is critical to pay for such programs. The commission, led by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, will recommend the Trump administration increase access to addiction treatment and recovery programs, expand the availability of medication-assisted therapies and expand first responders' ability to administer the life-saving overdose reversal drug, naloxone, according to a draft of the commission’s final report obtained by POLITICO. (Ehley and Karlin-Smith, 10/31)
The Hill:
Health Chairman: There Will Be New Funding To Fight Opioids
The chairman of the Senate Health Committee on Tuesday predicted that Congress will provide more money to fight the opioid epidemic. "There will be additional new funding," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said, noting that the "last significant" funding came from a biomedical innovation bill he sponsored and that passed last year. The bill included $1 billion over two years to fight opioid abuse. (Roubein, 10/31)
And in opioid news from the states —
The Associated Press:
Missouri Attorney General Demands Opioid Distributor Records
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley on Tuesday said he's demanding documents from three major opioid distributors that he claims didn't report suspiciously large shipments of prescription drugs. Hawley said his office sent requests backed by the force of law to AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson as part of a broader effort to investigate the opioid crisis. The attorney general said about 500 people died in Missouri from opioid overdoses or complications from opioid use in 2015. (10/31)
The Associated Press:
Arkansas Senator Ends Company’s Contract With Rehab Program
The top Republican in the Arkansas Senate said Tuesday that his company terminated its agreement with a drug rehabilitation program after accusations workers provided by the nonprofit were unpaid. Republican Sen. Jim Hendren said his company, Hendren Plastics, terminated the agreement with the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program following a lawsuit filed in Benton County that accused the program of conspiring with Hendren Plastics, Simmons Foods and others to use the clients as free labor. (10/31)
Reveal:
Arkansas’ Senate Leader Cancels His Company’s Contract With Work Camp
One of Arkansas’ top lawmakers says he has severed ties with a drug rehab program that forced participants to work for free in his plastics factory, the Associated Press reported today. State Senate Majority Leader Jim Hendren had used workers from the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program to partially staff Hendren Plastics, the business he founded with his father, Kim, who is also a state representative. (Harris and Walter, 10/31)
Denver Post:
Colorado Opioid Crisis: Lawmakers Endorse Prescription Limits And Possibility Of Safe-Injection Sites
A bipartisan panel of Colorado lawmakers on Tuesday endorsed a wide-ranging package of bills to blunt the state’s opioid crisis, proposing limits on some prescriptions and more money for treatment and prevention programs. The legislation represents the state’s most comprehensive response to a spike in drug overdose deaths in recent years, with the measures poised for introduction when the General Assembly returns in January. (Frank, 10/31)
St. Louis Public Radio:
Missouri Expands Legal Battle Against Opioid Industry
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has issued subpoenas to three companies that distribute opioids throughout the United States.The subpoenas were issued to AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson Corporation. As opioid overdoses rise across the country, Hawley is accusing those companies of putting profits ahead of patient health. (Griffin, 10/31)