By Derek Hawkins

Law360, New York (April 14, 2011, 3:23 PM ET) -- A federal judicial panel on Monday gave plaintiffs in 18 separate actions involving the recalled painkillers Darvocet and Darvon one month to file arguments in support of consolidating the cases into a multidistrict litigation.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a show cause order for plaintiffs in 10 states seeking centralization of cases alleging Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc., Eli Lilly & Co. and others concealed the health risks about the drugs' active ingredient, propoxyphene.

Plaintiffs in Florida, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, Oklahoma, Illinois, Louisiana, New...