Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Than 320 Counties, Cities And States Are Suing Drugmakers For Role In Opioid Epidemic
The Associated Press: Number Of Lawsuits Challenging Opioid Industry Still Growing
The number of lawsuits continues to grow in a combined federal challenge of drug companies’ role in the opioid crisis. Judge Dan Polster is overseeing the consolidated lawsuits in a case in federal court in Cleveland. The complaints allege drug manufacturers and drug distributors bear responsibility for the deadly overdose epidemic and for not doing enough to stop it. (2/14)
The Star Tribune: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe In North And South Dakota Sues Major Opioid Manufacturers And Distributors
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux alleges that major manufacturers and distributors of opioids created a public health crisis on their reservation by fraudulently concealing the addiction risk of the drugs. The tribe, located in North and South Dakota, sued 24 defendants in the opioid industry, seeking damages for what it alleges are violations of federal racketeering laws, deceptive trade practices, and fraudulent and negligent conduct. (Brunswick, 2/13)
Modern Healthcare: Which Opioid Addiction Treatments Work? White House OKs Study To Find Answers
The White House has approved a new, national research effort headed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the most effective treatments for people battling opioid addiction. The CDC, which received approval Monday from the executive branch, said it hopes that the study's results will help inform policymakers, communities and providers on when drug-assisted therapies may or may not be appropriate. "Few studies are available to help patients and providers make informed decisions about the risks and benefits associated with the different medication-assisted treatments, the agency said in a notice. There's no silver bullet for treating opioid addiction. (Dickson, 2/13)
NPR: Doctors React: OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma Halts Opioid Marketing
The maker of OxyContin, one of the most prescribed and aggressively marketed opioid painkillers, will no longer tout the drug or any other opioids to doctors. The announcement, made Saturday, came as drugmaker Purdue Pharma faces lawsuits for deceptive marketing brought by cities and counties across the U.S., including several in Maine. The company said it's cutting its U.S. sales force by more than half. Just how important are these steps against the backdrop of a raging opioid epidemic that took the lives of more than 300 Maine residents in 2016, and accounted for more than 42,000 deaths nationwide? (Wight, 2/13)
The Hill: Sessions Makes A Remark About Opioids, Starts A Discussion About Pain
Attorney General Jeff Sessions drew criticism last week when he suggested the opioid epidemic could be eased if people “take some aspirin sometimes and tough it out a little bit.” The attorney general’s point was that doctors are giving out too many painkillers, and that this had contributed to people becoming addicted to opioids. (Roubein, 2/14)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Skyrocketing Cost Of Methadone Treatments Could Break The Everhart Family Budget
The clinic where Isaac [Everhart] gets his drug therapy recently lost more than $100,000 in funding for 2018. Without those funds, it can no longer underwrite the cost of methadone treatments for many patients - including those the agency describes as the "working poor." (Cain, 2/14)
