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Oklahoma judge rules against drugmaker, orders $572M payment

By SEAN MURPHY
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) —
An Oklahoma judge on
Monday found Johnson & CRISIS PAY
Johnson and its subsidiaries
helped fuel the state's opi-
oid crisis and ordered the
consumer products giant
to pay $572 million, more
than twice the amount an-
other drug manufacturer
agreed to pay in a settle-
ment.
Cleveland County District
Judge Thad Balkman's rul-
ing followed the first state
opioid case to make it to
trial and could help shape
negotiations over roughly
1,500 similar lawsuits filed
by state, local and tribal
governments consolidated
before a federal judge in
Ohio.
"The opioid crisis has rav-
aged the state of Oklaho-
ma," Balkman said before
announcing the judgment.
"It must be abated immedi-
ately."
An attorney for the com- Judge Thad Balkman arrives to give his decision in the Opioid Lawsuit in Norman, Okla., Monday, Aug. 26, 2019.
panies said they plan to Associated Press
appeal the ruling to the
Oklahoma Supreme Court. deal with OxyContin-maker companies and their sub- the drugs were for treating ple in the state from 2007 to
Before Oklahoma’s trial Purdue Pharma and an $85 sidiaries created a public chronic pain and under- 2017. Hunter called John-
began May 28, the state million settlement with Is- nuisance by launching an stated the risk of addiction. son & Johnson a “kingpin”
reached settlements with raeli-owned Teva Pharma- aggressive and misleading Oklahoma Attorney Gener- company that was moti-
two other defendant ceutical Industries Ltd. marketing campaign that al Mike Hunter says opioid vated by greed.
groups — a $270 million Oklahoma argued the overstated how effective overdoses killed 4,653 peo- Continued on Next Page