The state of Ohio is suing five pharmaceutical companies for what the state contends is their direct role in fueling the opioid epidemic that’s sweeping the country. The quote from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine that tells the story of how the state intends to direct the case…
Defendants persuaded doctors and patients that what they had long known — that opioids are addictive drugs, unsafe in most circumstances for long-term use — was untrue, and quite the opposite, that the compassionate treatment of pain required opioids.
Pharmaceutical companies named in the suit include Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (Cephalon), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceuticals), and Allergan.
For more on the lawsuit, read NPR’s full coverage including statements from several of the defendant companies here.
