October 01, 2021
The two Ohio counties set to battle national pharmacies starting Monday in a key opioid bellwether have strong steel and manufacturing roots and see the trial as their chance to hold companies accountable for the extreme financial stress the crisis has brought to their already struggling communities.
September 30, 2021
The Cherokee Nation asked an Oklahoma federal judge to remand opioid-related claims against pharmacy companies, including CVS and Walgreens, to state court, arguing there is no longer federal jurisdiction after settling with McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health earlier this week.
September 29, 2021
After years of bobbing and weaving, pharmacy titans CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are poised to go toe-to-toe with heavyweight plaintiffs lawyers in the first opioid trial targeting the pharmacy sector. Here, Law360 looks at the showdown's lead lawyers, biggest uncertainties and intensely acrimonious atmosphere.
September 28, 2021
The Cherokee Nation announced Tuesday that it's reached a $75 million settlement with AmerisourceBergen Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp. over claims that the companies contributed to the opioid epidemic.
September 21, 2021
Two Ohio counties involved in an upcoming bellwether trial against pharmacies in sprawling multidistrict opioid litigation asked an Ohio federal judge on Tuesday to exclude nearly 40 potential jurors who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, saying that allowing unvaccinated jurors to serve on the jury would be likely to disrupt the trial.
September 20, 2021
An Ohio federal judge narrowed what a Stanford University doctor will be allowed to testify about when it comes to aspects of opioid pharmacy operations during an upcoming bellwether trial, but she will allow the expert to speak on alleged "red flags" the industry ignored.
September 17, 2021
A flash flood of misconduct inquiries in opioid litigation across the country is rapidly engulfing Endo Pharmaceuticals and threatening to inflict considerable damage on the professional reputations of its Arnold & Porter attorneys, according to legal filings, court proceedings and interviews.
September 14, 2021
An Ohio federal judge will limit the scope of an expert's testimony about how pharmacies failed to heed "red flags" meant to curb the diversion of opioids, saying he can opine that the alleged failure likely led to the drugs getting out on the streets, but he cannot establish a direct causal link.
September 08, 2021
An Oklahoma federal judge on Wednesday paused key proceedings in the bellwether case for Native American tribes in multidistrict opioid litigation after the Cherokee Nation and the country's largest drug distributors indicated that a major settlement might be imminent.
August 26, 2021
A years-in-the-making opioid trial against major pharmacy chains won't include Rite Aid Corp., which revealed a deal Thursday to avoid going before an Ohio federal jury on allegations it unlawfully dispensed and distributed massive amounts of prescription narcotics.