Ohio sues drugmakers over state’s opioid crisis

COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Ohio attorney general sued five d r u g makers Wednesday, accusing the companies of perpetrating the state’s addictions epidemic by intentionally misleading patients about the dangers of painkillers and promoting benefits of the drugs not backed by science.

Attorney General Mike DeWine said the companies created a deadly mess in Ohio that they now need to pay to clean up.

“This lawsuit is about justice, it’s about fairness,” DeWine said in announcing the complaint filed in Ross County, an Ohio community slammed by fatal drug overdoses from painkillers and heroin.

A record 3,050 Ohioans died from drug overdoses in 2015, a figure expected to jump sharply once 2016 figures are tallied.

DeWine wants an injunction stopping the companies from their alleged misconduct and damages for money the state spent on opiates sold and marketed in Ohio. The attorney general also wants customers repaid for unnecessary opiate prescriptions for chronic pain.

“These drug companies knew that what they were doing was wrong, and they did it anyway,” DeWine said.

The drugmakers sued by DeWine are Purdue Pharma; Endo Health Solutions; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and its subsidiary, Cephalon; Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals; and Allergan.

They variously manufacture OxyContin, Percocet and a host of other painkillers that DeWine said represent the heart of the problem.

Janssen on Wednesday called the lawsuit’s accusa- tions legally and factually unfounded. The company said it acted appropriately, responsibly and in the best interests of patients.

Another defendant, Purdue Pharma, said it shares DeWine’s concerns about the opiate crisis and is committed to working together on a solution. It won’t say if it’s challenging the lawsuit.

Teva Pharmaceuticals says it’s still reviewing the lawsuit and is unable to comment.

Endo declined to comment. A message was left seeking comment with Allergan.

De Wi n e , a Re p u b l i c a n expected to run for governor next year, joins other states that have filed similar lawsuits. His move comes after years of calls for such action by Ohio Democrats.

In 2015, Kentucky settled a similar lawsuit with Purdue Pharma for $24 million. Oregon was among 27 states that reached a settlement with Purdue, maker of OxyContin, in 2007.