Page 13 - David Ackerman News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

CHARLESTON – Three of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distribution companies pushed for a trial dismissal as the plaintiffs wrapped up their case at the bellwether federal opioid trial. During a day of motions July 1, the drug distributors maintained the plaintiffs continuously have failed to give substantial evidence of misconduct.  The City of Huntington and Cabell County sued the distribution companies –AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corp – in 2017, seeking the parties be held responsible for their part in the opioid epidemic. Five of 77 pharmacies in Cabell C...

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams (left) leaves the courthouse with City Communications Director Bryan Chambers and attorney Rusty Webb. | Photo by Brittany Hively CHARLESTON – Wrapping up the plaintiff's case, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams provided emotional testimony detailing his experience in handling the opioid epidemic. “We had individuals saying we were the epicenter of the opioid epidemic and that smacked me in the center,” Williams said during his sometimes tearful June 30 examination by attorney Anne Kearse. “The hardest part of this is dealing with t...

shutterstock.com CHARLESTON – An abatement expert says the total cost for such a plan for Cabell County and Huntington to deal with the opioid epidemic would be at least $2.5 billion. On June 28, attorney Anthony Majestro, representing Cabell County, called George A. Barrett, an expert witness in the field of forensic economics. Barrett said he was asked to calculate the value of total cost of an abatement plan being composed by a group of epidemiologists. That cost would include abatement, inflation and interest to find the total cost. Barrett said this calculation ...

CHARLESTON – Testifying in the bellwether opioid trial, a expert witness on pharmaceutical-related abatement programs said he does not believe Cabell County has sufficient treatment programs to fight the opioid epidemic.   The City of Huntington and Cabell County sued three of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distribution companies – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corp. – in 2017 claiming the companies are largely responsible for fueling the current opioid epidemic that led the area to lead the nation in prescription opioid related deaths and at one-time being nam...

CHARLESTON – An expert epidemio​​​​logist who analyzed Cabell County and West Virginia overdose data to show opioid trends in death rates soared from 2001 to 2017.