New York City latest to sue drugmakers, distributors
The city of New York on Tuesday became the latest and largest city to sue drugmakers and drug distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis.
The suit, filed in a state court in Manhattan, accuses companies including Dublin-based Cardinal Health of putting profits before their responsibility to the public in supplying and promoting powerful painkillers that have led to addiction and death for thousands of New York residents. More than 1,100 New Yorkers died of opioid overdoses in 2016, according to the lawsuit.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the companies being sued “corporate drug pushers” in making the announcement at a press event on Tuesday.
The city seeks damages of $500 million to help pay for fighting the addiction crisis and its related public-health costs.
Other defendants in the suit include drugmakers Allergan, Endo International, Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma and Teva Pharmaceutical, along with Cardinal Health competitors AmerisourceBergen and McKesson.
A spokesman for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the trade group representing Cardinal and its peers, said the group’s members are taking steps to be part of the solution to the problem, “but we aren’t willing to be scapegoats.”
“Distributors are logistics companies that arrange for the safe and secure storage, transport and delivery of medicines,” said John Parker, senior vice president of the group. “We don’t make medicines, market medicines, prescribe medicines or dispense them to consumers.”
He added that holding distributors “solely responsible” for opioid prescriptions written “defies common sense,” adding that they nonetheless are eager to work toward finding solutions.
In December, the city of Columbus also joined the growing number of cities, counties and states filing similar suits against the drug companies. Columbus’ suit did not specify a particular amount sought as damages.
Meanwhile, a conference is set for next week in Cleveland to continue settlement talks in a consolidated case against the drug companies.
U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is presiding over the suit, which involves more than 200 government entities suing the drug companies.