Lawsuits against OxyContin owners on hold; judge orders negotiations
A judge has kept lawsuits against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family who own it on hold until Feb. 1 but ordered the parties to negotiate a new settlement. Connecticut and Washington state argued that suits against the Sacklers should be allowed to move ahead immediately.
Texas seized enough fentanyl to kill 200 million people this year alone, officials say
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) says that in this year alone they have seized enough fentanyl crossing the border to kill 200 million people.
UT Southwestern to pay $4.5 million after nurses die from fentanyl overdose
Two nurses died from fentanyl overdoses in a hospital bathroom. The DEA says UT Southwestern’s oversight is partially to blame.
US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in a year for 1st time, CDC says
An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, topping deaths from car crashes, guns and even flu and pneumonia, CDC data shows.
Pharmacies head to court Monday in 1st trial over role in opioid crisis
In a bellwether federal trial starting Monday in Cleveland, Lake and Trumbull counties will try to convince a jury that the retail pharmacy companies played an outsized role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities.
Lethal counterfeit pills being sold online as prescription drugs, DEA warns
More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills have been seized in 2021
Purdue Pharma opioid settlement: Judge conditionally OKs $4.5B agreement
A judge on Wednesday gave conditional approval to a sweeping, potentially $10 billion plan submitted by OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to settle a mountain of lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis.
3 Kerr County men indicted for the distribution of opioids
According to court documents, 3 men in Kerr County are all charged with one count of conspiring to distribute hydrocodone, oxycodone, and amphetamines.
Ex-Purdue Pharma president denies responsibility for opioid crisis
Former Purdue Pharma president and chair Richard Sackler says he, his family and the company do not have any responsibility for the opioid crisis in the United States.
J&J to pay $230M to settle claims it helped fuel opioid crisis
As part of the deal, the drugmaker also agreed to end the manufacturing and distribution of opioids across New York and the rest of the nation.
CVS sued for ‘role’ in opioid epidemic by Kentucky’s attorney general
Kentucky’s attorney general is coming after CVS, alleging the company played a role in the state’s opioid addiction woes.
DOJ sues Walmart over role in America’s opioid crisis
The Justice Department is suing Walmart, alleging the company unlawfully dispensed controlled substances through its pharmacies, helping to fuel the opioid crisis in America, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Fake business housed industrial-scale meth, fentanyl lab, Mexican officials say
Soldiers and police in Mexico have seized an industrial-scale meth and fentanyl lab that was so big it startled investigators.
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma launches campaign for opioid victims to file claims
Purdue Pharma, the drug company that makes OxyContin, launched a $23.8 million ad campaign on Monday alerting victims where to file claims if they have been affected or harmed by the opioid.
Opioid settlement still elusive as lawyers for some state and local governments criticize it
State attorneys general are finding a national settlement over the toll of opioids to be elusive, as some lawyers for state and local governments are renewing public criticism of the proposed deal with a group of companies led by the nation's largest drug distributors.
President Trump donates 3rd-quarter salary to help fight opioid crisis
A White House official says Trump has given the $100,000 he would be paid in the quarter to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, which oversees federal public health offices and programs, including the surgeon general's office.
‘Meth. We’re on it’: People have mixed feelings about South Dakota’s new anti-drug campaign
South Dakota's latest anti-drug campaign slogan, “Meth. We’re On It,” has not been as well received as originally hoped.
Companies reach tentative deal to settle opioids lawsuit
(AP) -- The nation's three dominant drug distributors and a big drugmaker have reached a tentative deal to settle a lawsuit related to the opioid crisis just as the first federal trial over the crisis was due to begin Monday, according to a lead lawyer for the local governments suing the drug industry.