In a landmark verdict, an Oklahoma judge ruled Monday that Johnson and Johnson is responsible for fueling the state’s opioid epidemic. Purdue Pharma and Teva Pharmaceuticals, also named in the Oklahoma suit, settled last spring for $270 million and $85 million respectively, leaving Johnson and Johnson and its pharmaceutical subsidiary, Janssen, to face charges that they created a “public nuisance.” Johnson and Johnson will pay a $571 million fine—more than its co-defendants, but far less than the $17 billion that the state originally requested to cover the costs of the crisis. The state also accused the company of quietly dominating the opioid market for years, growing poppies in Tasmania and selling narcotics to leading drug companies, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. According to documents made public during the trial, by 2016, Johnson and Johnson subsidiary Noramco was allegedly the nation’s top supplier of opioids, including oxycodone (found in OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (found in Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.
— source motherjones.com | Aug 26, 2019