Ohio Attorney
General Mike DeWine filed
suit [complaint, PDF] against five major drug manufacturers
for misleading marketing practices that led to a painkiller epidemic, reported Jurist. DeWine
filed suit in the Ross
County Court of Common Pleas [official website] against the
manufacturers of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Dilaudid and Percoda,
alleging that the companies spent $168 million on sales representatives who
downplayed the risks of the drugs while highlighting the benefits. DeWine stated :
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. ... They
knew they were wrong, but they did it anyway—and they continue to do it.
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 suit seeks an injunction against the companies' sales
practices and damages to reimburse state spending in fighting the painkiller
epidemic. Jessica Castles Smith, spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson a
subsidiary of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., stated that the allegations are unfounded.
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