Ohio Sues 5 Opioid Drug Producers

Why Are Opioids So Addictive?

CLEVELAND, OH — The state of Ohio is suing five opioid drug producers for fraudulent marketing, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced at a press conference on Wednesday. DeWine argued these companies contributed to the massive opioid epidemic that has plagued Ohio for three years.

The lawsuit accuses the companies of placing profits above the lives of human beings. Inspired to drive sales, the companies allegedly included medical journal advertising, misleading sales representative statements and front groups that downplayed the risks of opioid use and exaggerated the benefits. Among the specific claims named in the lawsuit, DeWine said the companies told medical professionals that opioid addiction was easily managed, denied the risks of high opioid dosages and claimed opioids could improve quality of life for everyone. (Subscribe to the Patch Cleveland newsletter for more updates and local news.)

The five companies named in the lawsuit are:

• Purdue Pharma, which sold OxyContin, MS Contin, Dilaudid, Butrans, Hyslingla and Targiniq
• Endo Health Solutions, which sold Percocet, Percodan, Opana and Zydone
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and its subsidiary Cephalon, which sold Actiq and Fentora
• Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which sold Duragesic and Nucynta
• Allergan, which sold Kadian, Norco and several generic opioids

"We believe the evidence will also show that these companies got thousands and thousands of Ohioans — our friends, our family members, our co-workers, our kids — addicted to opioid pain medications, which has all too often led to use of the cheaper alternatives of heroin and synthetic opioids. These drug manufacturers led prescribers to believe that opioids were not addictive, that addiction was an easy thing to overcome, or that addiction could actually be treated by taking even more opioids" said DeWine.

A spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen categorically denied any wrongdoing in the company's marketing campaign, saying the allegations in the suit are both "legally and factually unfounded."

"Janssen has acted appropriately, responsibly and in the best interests of patients regarding our opioid pain medications, which are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about the known risks of the medications on every product label," the spokesperson told Patch.

A spokesperson for Purdue Pharma sent an emailed statement, arguing the company has made broad efforts to fight the opioid crisis.

“We share the attorney general’s concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions," the spokesperson said. "OxyContin accounts for less than 2 percent of the opioid analgesic prescription market nationally, but we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology, advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naloxone — all important components for combating the opioid crisis.”

Teva declined to comment through a spokesperson, saying it needed to fully review the complaint. The other companies named in the suit did not immediately return Patch's request for comment.

DeWine said in an emailed statement that he is seeking the following from the companies:

• A declaration that the companies’ actions were illegal
• An injunction to stop their continued deceptions and misrepresentations and to abate the harm they have caused
• Damages for the money that the state spent on the opioids that these companies sold and marketed in Ohio and for other costs of their deceptive acts
• Repayment to consumers who, like the state, paid for unnecessary opioid prescriptions for chronic pain.

"They knew they were wrong, but they did it anyway -- and they continue to do it," DeWine said. "Despite all evidence to the contrary about the addictive nature of these pain medications, they are doing precious little to take responsibility for their actions and to tell the public the truth."

The lawsuit was filed in the Ross County Court of Common Pleas. A copy of the lawsuit is available for viewing here.

More on Ohio's opioid crisis:

• New Bill Would Curb Over-Prescribing Of Opioids
• 666 Overdose Deaths In Cuyahoga County In 2016
• Recovering Addict Reforms Police Approach To Opiates
• Curbing Opiates: Doctors Addicted To Overprescribing

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch