John Sammon News
Defense attorneys question DEA official about opioid suspicious orders in West Virginia trial
CHARLESTON — An official of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration told attorneys defending suppliers of opioid drugs that the companies were supposed to protect against suspicious drug orders without specific guidance from the DEA.
Former Teva employee says company partly responsible for opioid epidemic
During a trial in West Virginia accusing opioid drug suppliers of causing an epidemic, a former employee of Teva, one of the defendants and the largest generic manufacture of opioids in the country, admitted the company could be held responsible.
Defense attorneys challenge witness who showed increase in W.Va. opioid prescriptions
CHARLESTON – Attorneys defending drug suppliers accused of creating an opioid epidemic in West Virginia sought to poke holes in the earlier testimony of an analyst called as an expert witness by the state whose numbers showed a dramatic increase in opioid prescriptions from the years 2007 to 2017.
Witness in West Virginia opioid trial says DEA 'beat up' drug suppliers
CHARLESTON – A security manager for an opioid drug company testified that officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration turned “aggressive” in the 2011 time period and began to “beat up” drug suppliers and manufacturers.
Data analyst shows opioid prescriptions skyrocket in West Virginia, above national average
CHARLESTON – An analytics analyst in a trial accusing suppliers of causing an opioid epidemic said the amount of prescriptions for pills in West Virginia increased dramatically between 1997 and 2017, with 2011 being the peak year.
Opioid trial continues without Janssen; expert says oversupply caused crisis
CHARLESTON – Janssen settled with West Virginia, but the state trial continues against opioid suppliers Teva, Cephalon and Allergen continues.
Opioid researcher says industry promoted dangerous drugs for profits in step-by-step campaign
An opioid researcher told a West Virginia court on Thursday manufacturers and distributors of dangerously powerful drugs such as OxyContin, were promoted by the companies in what amounted to a step-by-step distortion campaign undertaken for profits----resulting in an epidemic.
FDA director says medical practice changed, loosening prescribing of opioid pills with more addicts
CHARLESTON – A director of the Food & Drug Administration says physicians in the 1990s lost their fear of prescribing opioids, leading to higher rates of addiction.
Walgreens defense points to Purdue Pharma's pro-opioid stance as fuel for epidemic
During the testimony of a drug historian during the second day of a high profile Floriday opioid trial, attorneys defending Walgreens Pharmacy attempted to distance their client from blame, by blaming Purdue Pharma.
Florida opioid trial against Walgreens opens; Defense: Pay attention to difference between AG's public vs. court statements
A jury trial began Monday in a lawsuit launched by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2018 against Walgreens pharmacies, accusing the company of flooding the state with opioid pills and creating an epidemic of addiction.
State witness in West Virginia opioid trial says marketing of drugs aggressively over the top
A professor of pharmacy marketing told a West Virginia courtroom that the selling of opioid drugs by sales reps was designed to expand market share of the drugs and result in profits - a central argument state attorneys intend to show as the causation of an epidemic.
Historian in opioid trial says mistakes repeated in flooding market with pills
CHARLESTON – Plaintiff attorneys in a lawsuit accusing opioid manufacturers of causing a drug epidemic in West Virginia produced a witness who seemed to suggest that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
At manufacturer trial, plaintiff attorneys portray prescription opioids as dangerous
CHARLESTON – On the second day of a trial accusing opioid manufacturers of causing an drug epidemic in West Virginia, plaintiff attorneys sought to undercut a central defense contention – that prescription drugs are safe and effective in dealing with pain.
Trial opens as West Virginia blames opioid suppliers for epidemic
CHARLESTON – The state court trial accusing Janssen, the drug arm of Johnson & Johnson, and opioid suppliers Teva, Cephalon and Allergen of causing an epidemic in the West Virginia began Monday.
Defense rests, two-week break before closing arguments in opioid distributors’ trial in Washington State
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - The last witness appeared on Monday in a trial that has gone on for more than four months accusing three of the country’s largest distributors of opioid pills of causing an overdose epidemic in Washington State.
Defense witness says doctors impact shipments of opioids, not distributors in Washington State epidemic trial
SEATTLE (legal Newsline) - In a trial of three opioid drug distribution companies accused of causing an overdose epidemic in Washington State, defense attorneys on Thursday sought to portray the pill dispensing system as tightly organized, and influenced by prescribing doctors, not the companies.
Defense witness says prescription opioids essential for pain relief in trial of distributors
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - In a trial to decide if three of the country’s biggest distributors of opioids caused an overdose epidemic in Washington State, defense attorneys on Monday and Tuesday sought to show the drugs are an essential component of pain treatment and the benefits outweigh the risks.
AmerisourceBergen’s role supplying opioids to Washington State minimal, witness says in distributor trial
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - It appeared on Thursday that defense attorneys for opioid drug distributor AmerisourceBergen were attempting to distance themselves from two other companies being sued by Washington State for allegedly causing an overdose epidemic.
Pain control doctor says opioid drug prescribing doctors acted in good faith in distributor trial
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - A pain specialist doctor called as a witness for the defense in the trial of three opioid drug distributors accused of causing an overdose epidemic in Washington State indicated on Wednesday that the majority of doctors did the best they could, even if over-prescribing pain pills.
Former McKesson official says anti-opioid diversion system robust in distributor trial
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - A former special agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who later worked for McKesson Corp. in its anti-drug diversion program, told a courtroom on Monday the system was thorough in checking to prevent drugs from getting into the wrong hands.