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J&J, other drugmakers go to trial in California in $50 billion case over deadly legacy of opioids
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(Reuters) -Four drugmakers helped cause the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing their drugs and downplaying their addictive risks, a lawyer for several California counties argued on Monday at the start of a multibillion-dollar trial.
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Those counties accuse Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Endo International Plc and AbbVie Inc’s Allergan unit of fueling a drug crisis that according to the U.S. government resulted in nearly 500,000 opioid overdose deaths over two decades.
The populous Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Orange counties and the city of Oakland say that should a judge following the non-jury, virtual trial find the drugmakers liable, they should have to pay more than $50 billion to cover the costs of abating the public nuisance they created, plus penalties.
APRIL 19: Four drugmakers helped cause the deadly US opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing their drugs and downplaying their addictive risks, a law.
By Sara Randazzo A lawyer for several large California communities accused four drugmakers of causing a deadly wave of opioid addiction with their aggressive marketing of pain pills, while defense attorneys said the firms followed the law, on the opening day of a trial closely watched by the pharmaceutical industry. Without an avalanche of prescription opioids, there wouldn t be an opioid epidemic, said Fidelma Fitzpatrick, a plaintiffs lawyer hired to represent the counties of Los Angeles, Orange and Santa Clara and the city of Oakland. The monthslong trial, being held fully by videoconference and decided solely by a judge, began Monday with opening remarks from Ms. Fitzpatrick and attorneys for the drugmakers being accused of misconduct Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceutical Ltd., Endo International PLC and AbbVie Inc. s Allergan.