This would be the first deal among about 3,000 lawsuits that exist nationwide. Details must still be resolved on payments to local, state groups as well as hospitals and others. The plan also does not apply to two key drugmakers, Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt. News on the national drug epidemic is from California, as well.
The Associated Press: West Virginia Plan: Companies Pay $1.25B To End Opioid Suits
Communities in West Virginia say they would get $1.25 billion from the drug industry in a proposed settlement that would end most of the litigation stemming from the opioid crisis in the state. The deal would be the first of its kind, even as drug makers, distribution companies and pharmacies are considering settling about 3,000 lawsuits nationwide over what many — including the families of those who died of opioid addiction — say was their role in fueling a crisis that has been linked to more than 430,000 deaths in the U.S. since 2000. (Izaguirre and Mulvihill, 3/2)
Stat: California Slams AmerisourceBergen Over Opioid Shipments To Pharmacies
The California Board of Pharmacy reprimanded AmerisourceBergen (ABC) and fined the distributor for shipping “excessive” amounts of opioids and other controlled substances to pharmacies. The company was also cited for failing to report suspicious orders to authorities. (Silverman, 3/2)
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