Litigation Expanding Against Drugmakers Over Opioid Epidemic (<em>Governing</em>)

41 states demand pharma records

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More than 100 cities and states have announced lawsuits against drugmakers marketing opioid pain relievers in growing efforts to recoup economic losses linked to the opioid epidemic, the political magazine Governing reported Monday.

Now, 41 states have sought a subpoena to force Endo, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen unit, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan to provide records. They have also requested more information from OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma and several other companies.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who was the first state attorney general to sue a pharmaceutical company for their role in the epidemic, told Governing that he would consider filing criminal charges against drug company executives if warranted.

"If we get into those emails and executives are in the chain knowing what they've unleashed on the American public, I'm going to kick it over to a criminal lawsuit. I've been to too many funerals," Hood said.