January 06, 2021
Walmart Inc. on Wednesday unleashed fresh allegations of dodgy behavior by U.S. Department of Justice attorneys investigating its sales of prescription opioids, accusing government lawyers of making "disingenuous" statements in Texas federal court about looming enforcement.
January 06, 2021
A West Virginia federal judge on Wednesday set a May trial date for the three major drug distributors over claims they fueled the opioid crisis, waving away their protestations that the coronavirus vaccine rollout has been troublingly slow and saying it's time to "get some closure."
January 03, 2021
After a year in which the coronavirus pandemic swiped numerous important trials off the table, 2021 is widely hoped to bring broad vaccine availability and a return to the courtroom for many who have been awaiting their days in court.
December 07, 2020
An Ohio federal judge on Friday moved the May 2021 trial date for a bellwether case brought by two Ohio counties against pharmacies in the opioid multidistrict litigation to October 2021 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
December 03, 2020
A West Virginia federal court on Thursday delayed a planned January opioid trial after the three major U.S. drug distributors argued the worsening coronavirus pandemic made it too dangerous, but the judge hinted the rescheduled trial could be partially remote.
December 02, 2020
A West Virginia county and city asked a federal court Tuesday to stick with a planned January trial date for bellwether claims against the three major U.S. drug distributors over the opioid crisis, saying opening arguments and more can be done remotely amid the coronavirus crisis.
December 01, 2020
A battle has erupted in a bellwether case in multidistrict opioid litigation over access to internal documents at Allergan parent company AbbVie, which is facing insinuations that it might shutter Allergan to avoid paying a future legal judgment over allegedly unlawful painkiller sales.
November 18, 2020
The Ohio federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation over the opioid crisis on Wednesday struck pharmacies' claims that third-party health care workers were liable for writing opioid prescriptions, saying they're using previously rejected arguments.
November 10, 2020
Pharmacy chains including CVS and Rite Aid on Monday swung back at a bid by two Ohio counties to strike the chains' claims against health care workers who wrote opioid prescriptions, saying their arguments rest on "fiction."
November 05, 2020
The $26 billion settlement proposal from Johnson & Johnson and McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. will include a separate $2 billion fund to pay attorney fees and costs for the local governments that have sued over the opioid epidemic in multidistrict litigation, a source confirmed Thursday.