Court Rules Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers Can Go Forward
Significant Court Ruling Rejects Opioid Manufacturers’ Arguments and Allows Case to Proceed as Purdue Pharma Halts Promotion of Opioids to Doctors
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – On February 13, 2018, the Orange County Superior Court rejected efforts by opioid manufacturers to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Santa Clara County Counsel and the Orange County District Attorney on behalf of the People of the State of California. The lawsuit, filed in May 2014, alleges that the defendants—including opioid manufacturers Purdue Pharma L.P., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Endo Health Solutions, Inc., and Actavis PLC—engaged in a deceptive marketing scheme that trivialized the risks of opioids, resulted in rampant over-prescribing, and led to a nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse and addiction.
“The court’s ruling puts an end to years of delay tactics by the defendants,” said Santa Clara County Counsel James R. Williams. “Now we will finally be able to move forward with the litigation and obtain key documents demonstrating the manufacturers’ misconduct. This is a critical step in addressing the opioid crisis that plagues California and the nation, and we will fight to hold opioid manufacturers accountable for their actions.”
The ruling comes the same week that Purdue Pharma, maker of the opioid OxyContin, announced that it will cut its salesforce in half and stop promoting opioids to doctors. The lawsuit brought by the Santa Clara County Counsel and the Orange County District Attorney was among the first lawsuits brought by government officials to hold opioid manufacturers responsible for their role in the opioids crisis. Manufacturers like Purdue now face pressure from hundreds of lawsuits nationwide.
The lawsuit was filed on May 21, 2014, against major opioid manufacturers. (People of the State of California v. Purdue Pharma, et al., Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2014-00725287-CU-BT-CXC.) In 2015, defendants moved to stay the lawsuit, and the case was stayed until October 2016, when the court partially lifted the stay to consider defendants’ arguments that the case should be dismissed. The court has now lifted the stay entirely, and its ruling allows the lawsuit to go forward.
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About the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office
The County Counsel serves as legal counsel to the County, its Board of Supervisors and elected officials, every County department and agency, and the County’s boards and commissions. With a staff of 170 employees, including 85 attorneys, the Office of the County Counsel is also responsible for all civil litigation involving the County and its officers. Through its Social Justice and Impact Litigation Section, the Office litigates high-impact cases, drafts innovative local ordinances, and develops policies and programs to advance social and economic justice.
About the County of Santa Clara, California
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multi-cultural population of 1.9 million residents. With a $6.5 billion annual budget, dozens of offices/departments, and over 18,000 employees, the County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and treatment, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many others, particularly for those in the greatest need. The County is the most populous in Northern California.
Media Contact: María Leticia Gómez/Laurel Anderson, Office of Public Affairs, (408) 299-5119.
Posted: February 14, 2018