Johnson & Johnson Left As Sole Defendant In High-Profile Oklahoma Trial Over Drugmakers’ Role In Opioid Epidemic

Most of the litigation against opioid makers and distributors is wrapped up in a single massive lawsuit overseen by a federal judge in Ohio, but the Oklahoma lawsuit will be the first to reach trial and could establish a precedent for damages paid to communities ravaged by opioids. The case is trickier than emotions surrounding it may suggest because opioids are legal and regulated and meant for medical treatment. That sets the arguments apart from the Big Tobacco reckoning that these lawsuits are often compared to. Over the weekend Teva Pharmaceuticals settled with the state, leaving Johnson & Johnson alone to bare the brunt of the nation's scrutiny.

from Kaiser Health News http://bit.ly/2Xicg1v