Article

2019-08-27 Economy

Oklahoma judge rules against drugmaker JNJ, orders $572M payment

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) ‐ An Oklahoma judge on Monday found Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries helped fuel the state’s opioid crisis and ordered the consumer products giant to pay $572 million, more than twice the amount another drug manufacturer agreed to pay in a settlement.

Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman’s ruling followed the first state opioid case to make it to trial and could help shape negotiations over roughly 1,500 similar lawsuits filed by state, local and tribal governments consolidated before a federal judge in Ohio.

"The opioid crisis has ravaged the state of Oklahoma," Balkman said before announcing the judgment. "It must be abated immediately."

An attorney for the companies said they plan to appeal the ruling to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Before Oklahoma’s trial began May 28, the state reached settlements with two other defendant groups ‐ a $270 million deal with OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma and an $85 million settlement with Israeli-owned Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Oklahoma argued the companies and their subsidiaries created a public nuisance by launching an aggressive and misleading marketing campaign that overstated how effective the drugs were for treating chronic pain and understated the risk of addiction. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter says opioid overdoses killed 4,653 people in the state from 2007 to 2017.

Hunter called Johnson & Johnson a "kingpin" company that was motivated by greed. He specifically pointed to two former Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries, Noramco and Tasmanian Alkaloids, which produced much of the raw opium used by other manufacturers to produce the drugs.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-08-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [13 views ] Top

#1 No one goes to jail. The gummit pockets the dough. The consumer picks up the tab. Everyone, or nearly everyone is happy.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-08-27 00:57|| 2019-08-27 00:57|| Front Page Top

#2 The State of OK sought $17B.

The State's case was built on their anticipated plan to recover from the crises despite evidence that they (the State) had spent very little to date.

IMO, the State of OK was probably more deceitful in this than JnJ was in their advertising.

Posted by lord garth 2019-08-27 01:34|| 2019-08-27 01:34|| Front Page Top

#3 $572 million is in the low range range of fines and drugs stocks are set to pop this morning.

Posted by Glose Thrinenter7387 2019-08-27 05:38|| 2019-08-27 05:38|| Front Page Top

#4 Does it expose J&J (a "family company") to civil lawsuits from 'victims' and their families?

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-08-27 06:52|| 2019-08-27 06:52|| Front Page Top

#5 An Oklahoma judge rules in favor of his employer. Nice.

Posted by Iblis 2019-08-27 12:16|| 2019-08-27 12:16|| Front Page Top

#6 This version of justice makes one think of Miss Prism's comment in Importance of Being Earnest:

Miss Prism: Do not speak slightingly of the three-volume novel, Cecily. I wrote one myself in earlier days.

Cecily: Did you really, Miss Prism? How wonderfully clever you are! I hope it did not end happily? I don't like novels that end happily. They depress me so much.

Miss Prism: The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

Posted by Lex 2019-08-27 14:29|| 2019-08-27 14:29|| Front Page Top

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