County of Lake v. Purdue Pharma L.P. et al

  1. February 10, 2023

    Opioid Judge Targets 'Unfortunate' Gaps In Pharmacy Deals

    The federal judge overseeing nationwide opioid litigation refused Friday to delay business practice changes at CVS, Walgreens and Walmart locations in two Ohio counties, pressuring the pharmacies to adopt the changes in nationwide settlements and rectify "unfortunate" omissions.

  2. November 23, 2022

    5 Years In, Opioid Attys Talk Historic Saga's Progress & Future

    Sprawling opioid litigation has unearthed pharmaceutical industry failures, altered attitudes about addiction and secured billions of dollars that are raising hopes that a bleak drug crisis in U.S. communities will eventually yield to brighter days, plaintiffs counsel told Law360 in a conversation about the five-year legal saga's progress — and its uncertain path forward.

  3. October 26, 2022

    Pharmacies Win Temporary Freeze Of Ohio Opioid Injunction

    A federal judge on Wednesday gave CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart a temporary reprieve from business practice requirements he imposed following a trial that found the pharmacy chains liable for problems associated with prescription painkiller addiction in two Ohio counties.

  4. October 07, 2022

    New Opioid Case Called 'Waste Of Time' Amid 6th Circ. Appeal

    The hugely expensive effort to prepare a new bellwether trial in multidistrict opioid litigation should cease because the Sixth Circuit might soon reject the controversial legal theory undergirding opioid cases, according to major pharmacy chains.

  5. October 05, 2022

    Opioid MDL's Verdict Watchdog Deserves DQ, Pharmacies Say

    The watchdog overseeing implementation of a verdict against CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart in multidistrict opioid litigation has a conflict of interest because he's already a special master tasked with impartial dispute resolution in the MDL, the drugstore chains said on Wednesday.

  6. September 30, 2022

    Administrator Named In CVS-Walgreens-Walmart Opioid Order

    A Cleveland federal judge presiding over thousands of opioid cases appointed his special master on Friday as administrator for abatement programs mandated as part of a judgment against CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, which were found liable to the tune of $650 million for contributing to prescription painkiller-related problems in two Ohio counties.

  7. September 07, 2022

    CVS, Walgreens, Walmart Will Fight $650M Ohio Opioid Order

    Three major pharmacy chains plan to challenge a federal judge's order to pay more than $650 million toward a plan to abate the opioid epidemic in two Northeast Ohio counties, according to notices of appeal filed Wednesday.

  8. August 18, 2022

    Lanier On $650M Opioid Win: I'd Have Settled For 'A Lot' Less

    Following a $650 million opioid trial triumph Wednesday against CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart, lead plaintiffs counsel W. Mark Lanier told Law360 that the pharmacies "could have settled so much cheaper than this, it's not even funny," and that while the appeal process could take years, he's "not too panicked" about the chains' chances.

  9. August 17, 2022

    CVS, Walmart, Walgreens Owe $650M In Ohio Opioid Fallout

    A federal judge in Cleveland said Wednesday that three major pharmacy chains must pay more than $650 million to fund a 15-year plan to address the fallout from opioid abuse in two northeast Ohio counties, delivering a blow to pharmacy companies as more cases make their way to trial.

  10. July 08, 2022

    W.Va. Opioid Verdict Widens Judge-Jury Split On Vital Theory

    A resounding victory by drug distributors in a bench trial over West Virginia's catastrophic opioid crisis underscores a growing gulf between judges and juries in broader opioid litigation, with judges increasingly rejecting a crucial legal theory while juries embrace it.