California Judge Halts Lawsuit Against Five Opioid Manufacturers

A California judge has halted a lawsuit against five manufacturers of prescription opioids, pending the outcome of postmarket safety studies the FDA is requiring on the drugs.

The suit, filed by Orange and Santa Clara Counties in May of last year, accused Teva, Johnson & Johnson, Endo Health Solutions, Actavis and Purdue Pharma of improperly promoting addictive painkillers for chronic pain management.

The City of Chicago filed a similar lawsuit against the same drugmakers in June 2014. Earlier this year, a federal judge dismissed Teva, J&J, Endo and Actavis from that lawsuit, while two complaints against Purdue were allowed to proceed. The judge left open the option for Chicago to file an amended complaint, which it did Aug. 26, putting all five companies back in the crosshairs.

The plaintiffs in People of the State of California v Purdue Pharma, et. al could not be reached for comment regarding an appeal. Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert Moss handed down the ruling in late August. — Jonathon Shacat