Pharmaceutical Companies

CVS Health Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance and other pharmacy chains face mounting pressure to settle thousands of government lawsuits over their role in the U.S. opioid epidemic after a federal judge warned the companies they risk financial peril.

When Ashwani Sheoran showed up for early morning shifts at pharmacies in rural Michigan wearing his white Walmart smock, he often found customers waiting, desperate for bottles of pain pills.

What You Need To Know: - Family behind Purdue Pharma testified before Congress on Thursday - Ohio lawmakers are pushing to refocus attention on worsening opioid crisis - OSU addiction specialist says pandemic “definitely” led to resurgence of opioid epidemic

Law360 (December 7, 2020, 5:32 PM EST) -- An Ohio federal judge on Friday moved the May 2021 trial date for a bellwether case brought by two Ohio counties against pharmacies in the opioid multidistrict litigation to October 2021 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty Tuesday to three criminal charges, formally admitting its role in an opioid epidemic that has contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths over the past two decades.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Four of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies are prepared to pay $26 billion to settle lawsuits with communities and states across the country over the devastation brought on by prescription painkillers.

On September 24, 2020, the Sixth Circuit reversed the Northern District of Ohio’s certification of a “negotiation class” in a nationwide prescription opioid MDL, concluding the text of Rule 23 does not permit certification of a class for negotiation purposes, as opposed to litigation or settlement.

The company, which produced OxyContin, faces penalties of $8.3 billion. But families of those addicted are skeptical of the tangible benefits.