February 27, 2020
Drug companies on Wednesday told the Ohio federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation over the opioid epidemic that a proposal for attorney fees — which they say could be more than $3.3 billion — would "severely jeopardize" settlement negotiations in the litigation.
February 26, 2020
The Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over the opioid crisis told the Sixth Circuit that pharmacies looking to block nationwide discovery are contradicting themselves by raising privacy concerns when they've tried to pry sensitive health data from plaintiffs in the past.
February 25, 2020
Mallinckrodt said Tuesday it had reached a $1.6 billion deal to exit a flood of opioid litigation brought by state and local governments, becoming the latest drugmaker to open its wallet to close out claims that it helped fuel an epidemic of painkiller addiction.
February 24, 2020
A group of 37 attorneys general urged an Ohio federal judge Monday to reject a fee request from lead plaintiffs' attorneys in the opioid multidistrict litigation, saying it could irreparably disrupt progress made toward reaching a large national settlement.
February 24, 2020
Francis McGovern, one of the three special masters in the opioid multidistrict litigation, who played a key role in crafting a novel "negotiation class" with the aim of seeking a nationwide deal, recently died at the age of 75.
February 21, 2020
The Ohio federal judge overseeing the opioid multidistrict litigation allowed union benefit plans to go forward with their suit alleging that opioid companies created a public nuisance, finding that they claim injuries different from the harm to health and safety suffered by the general public.
February 18, 2020
An Ohio federal judge's creation of a "negotiation class" intended to help resolve the multidistrict opioid litigation subverts state governmental authority by allowing potentially every U.S. city and county to strike global settlements with drug companies, a coalition of states told the Sixth Circuit.
February 13, 2020
The Sixth Circuit on Thursday paused nationwide discovery in the opioid multidistrict litigation as the panel considers a petition by pharmacies that claims the Ohio judge presiding over the litigation repeatedly flouted federal court rules.
February 13, 2020
An Ohio federal judge on Thursday overruled objections from several pharmacies being asked to disclose the ages of patients in discovery in sprawling opioid multidistrict litigation, saying in light of the other data being produced, disclosing the ages does not present a risk to patient privacy.
February 07, 2020
Drug distributors and cities fired away Friday at a "negotiation class" intended to help resolve the multidistrict opioid litigation, telling the Sixth Circuit that the unprecedented approach flouts class action procedures and is tainted by attorney conflicts of interest.