Teva settles opioid lawsuit with Oklahoma for $85 million

One of the drugmakers named in Oklahoma’s lawsuit over the opioid crisis has agreed to a settlement in which it will pay the state $85 million.

Israeli-owned Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA, -12.93% and Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter both announced the settlement Sunday in separate statements. Teva, its related affiliates and Johnson & Johnson JNJ, -0.68% and several of its subsidiaries were set to go to trial Tuesday in Norman.

Hunter said the case against Johnson & Johnson will proceed on schedule.

He also said the funds from the settlement with Teva will be used to fight the opioid crisis in Oklahoma.

Teva did not admit any wrongdoing under the settlement.

Earlier this year, Oklahoma settled with OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma

Teva settles opioid lawsuit with Oklahoma for $85 million

These scum-of-the-earth Opioid drug pushers finally got a little bit of an ass-whoopin. I say a little but cuz the 85 mil settlement is probably like 85 dollars to the company. However...its down 13% and lets hope it loses 100%.

Okie's also got $240 mil off Purdue...makers of Oxycotin. I hope they go bankrupt as well.


Now J and J are in Okie's sites....lets hope other states let rip on these vile drug pushers.....Opioids need to be banned,,,NOW!


Christ, the stats are off the chain, and it started with big pharma, moved to the generics, and now the cartels have taken over.

medicalxpress.com...


As an aside, Uncle DIpssnipsam spazzes out when a couple peeps get sick from E-Coli.
edition.cnn.com...


WT everloving F? Tens of thousands DIE from opioids in a year, and a couple peeps get ill from some flour and we shut down flour production..it makes me ill

a reply to: lakenheath24

85 million? They probably make that a day in Oklahoma.

I just saw a study that said teen prescriptions still as high as ever.

a reply to: lakenheath24

The real problem are the doctors I'd say. It's not like the pharma companies are pushing this on your door. And there are circumstances under which nothing but opiods helps.
If doctors wouldn't be so lazy and incompetent they'd prescribe the appropriate medicine for the cause and not just the one pain killer they can remember.

Bull#! There is something else going on but I have not figured it out yet. Maybe the weed lobby but it has to do with MONEY, not concern for people in general and definitely not for any concern for patients.

I hope you never get cancer or suffer from dibilitating chronic pain. You can't just ban all opiates. I am trying to cope with my reason for waking up in the morning passing away less than a month and a half ago right here where I sit. She had a broken body and had relief and a somewhat decent quality of life with her opiates. Back last March 2018 because of the pressure from everyone from federal to local level, the Dr. at pain mgnt. cut all of his patients back 25% and the next month another 25 %. Instead of somewhat enjoying the last few months before her cancer diagnosis she sat here in pain going through titration forced on everyone , no excepions. Then came the cancer and still she had pain and agony because she was still at half the dose she was on before. After radiation and then just one round of chemo (she never walked again after that) , the oncologist apologizes and said I misjudged how weak you were , it is time for hospice. Still he did nothing more to increase her pain meds because all the Drs are scared.
When she got to hospice home they finally got her pain under control and regulated with a pain pump with a bolus button to push for her breakthrough pain. She was then brought back here late Feb. and never left the hospital bed they brought here again until the ride to the crematorium. I am very pissed about the four or five months we could have ticked off a bucket list item or two but she couldnt because she was in so much pain from titration (withdrawal). Trust me unless they come up with new meds either you or a loved one will be thankful for opiates. Robin was a member here as well. I truely hope you wont need pain relief because you just might not get it.

a reply to: savagediver

The problem is not actual patients who have chronic pain in most cases. The problem is Dr's giving the high school qb a couple scripts for his sprained ankle, the mom who hurt her wrist at yoga, uncle bill had three refills for his wisdom teeth etc..

There was an actual known lobby effort between Dr's, Pharma, and Congess to sell the pants of the addictive drugs and lie about their side effects. Sadly they then also sold the drugs for rehab.

One of my favorite episodes of the TV show Leverage involved a man who became CEO of a pharmaceutical company.

He decided to take a drug the company had developed, but caused death in a certain percentage of people, and change the name and put it on the market. He reasoned that when people figured out the drug was dangerous, the company would have to pay maybe $2 billion in restitution. But until then, the company should make about $14 billion in profits.

He said, "... it's like tipping your waiter. Thanks for taking our drugs, here's a little something for your trouble."

I don't have much trouble believing something like this could happen. How often do you see a pharmaceutical company executive going to jail? Ever? How many people would have no problem killing hundreds of thousands of people for $10 billion dollars if you knew you would never have to go to jail for it?

a reply to: luthier

Do you help those who through weakness or ignorance get addicted by punishing those who really need the medicine to even have a half decent qaulity of life?

Go after the bad Dr. and the bad pharma but don't cause the suffering patient suffer more. Be a responsable patient. You can look up anything on the web and find out gee all it takes is a week or less and I coud be hooked.

Go after the bad without making the hurting suffer more. 6 months we could have enoyed family , but that was taken away from us forever. Final gone , dead. To top it off even after cancer diagnosis no additional pain relief until after xmas when she signed on with hospice.

I have had a family member hooked on opiates that did not need to be on them and did rehab. Still does not mean Robin should have had to live in agony up until the last two months of her life. She is one ,there are thousands hurting now because Drs. are scared. The same day we went and he cut everyone back there was this one 88 year old veteran there who had tears and his son said (this is it , Dad wants to die now. So much for the land of the free.)

There are some conditions and sicknesses that diet,exercise and an aspirin wont help.

a reply to: lakenheath24

It's good they're being fined, but $85 mil isn't worth all those years if life stolen from my friends who never made it out. And that's not counting the years stolen of the people that did make it out, or the drag and strain on society in court rooms, rehabs, unemployment, funeral costs, and the list goes on.

Shut these people down.

a reply to: Peeple

The doctors possibly, the hospitals who employ the doctors for sure. And the schools who teach the doctors MOST certainly. Its not lazy or incompetence, but the lack of teaching IMO...plus the integration of these companies into school curriculum.

a reply to: savagediver

I hope your friend/coworker/relative never gets hooked on Opiates either. Hooked because they were given pain meds without being told of the addictive nature.

Your situation isn't even remotely in the same vicinity of the same city, state, or country as the ballpark that I am in.

a reply to: sine.nomine

Its one state....lets see what follows.

a reply to: savagediver

Sorry for your loss

This whole thing has for sure put legit patients in a very dire position.

I was hit by a tow motor at work. Lots of pain that progressively got worse. I was sent to the very helpful Workmans Comp doctors who prescribed me the opioids because I absolutely needed them. Over 2 years I waited to get my surgery request approved and during that time I was prescribed them and needed them.
And here I am 1 year after surgery and the doctors tell me i have permanent, debilitating nerve damage along with the metal they installed in my spine.
All this time they have had me on the lowest dose available and at times it's not enough.
Do they care? Nope! But I guess I'm lucky to get anything considering how bad it has gotten.
But I will be honest with you guys. There have been times when they lowered my dose or amount and it sent my body into severe pains.
So at that point am I supposed to grin and bear it OR Go looking on the street for what I know will help.
What I am saying is that they Are creating the market for the medications.
The doctors and lobbyists are driving the demand by taking away what actually works. And I have heard many people turn to Heroin and that it is cheaper, and more readily available.
There has to be a better way!

a reply to: vonclod

Completely different. If you live in USA or any developed country and dont think to check out meds the doc gives you for yourself you are an ass. If you think you can just trust a doctor because they spent a sh@t ton of money and wear a white coat you are an ass. If you bothered to read akeneath my nephew did get hooked. I have been lied to watched the behavoir and was so proud when he got help and how after 3 years how much he changed.
No one , not even the doctor held a gun to his head and made him take them. Robin had 2 brothers die from OD's.In talking to her family in Pa. last week that is one of the main reasons she never told anyone about how bad she hurt or what she took. She did not want to be looked at as a junkie seeking to get high because it felt good or was weak. I will post a post she made for a cihronic pain website she made years ago.

I left the room a few years back when after my nephew got treatment how they were talking about it at a family get together and like some here they were saying that anyone who takes opiates is an addict, a junki. I wish I would have stayed and supported her. I walked away like a coward to avoid the conversation. My brother's daughter my niece had died less than a year ealier from a surgury for pectus exvactum and then my nephew got hooked bad on opiates so I walked away from the conversation. If any of you running your mouths from just one point of view dont believe me just pm me and I will give you my info and show you. I have seen extended family death from opiates and addiction of y nephew. I have also watched the woman I loved self medicate with alcohol and still have a crap life go to the doctor in 08 and start on opiates and watched her life transform so much for the better.

I wish people would try and see that opiates do help some people live a better life as well as ruin weak or irresponsible peoples lifes. Where we live they did urine and blood tests and pill counts. It was degrading to her as it was here on most of ats , guilty until proven innocent.

a reply to: FreeFalling

You will get no sympathy from most here. Just eat right and exercise and you will be fine. Just like Robin had a genetic condition which ruined her feet and joints. 7 surgeries on her feet in Pittsburgh before I even met her. Her toes were all fused together and had rods in her feet til she died. She had calcium that would protrude from her feet and it was like her walking on rocks under her skin on her feet. First doc screwed her feet up worse then one of the guys who was a doctor for the steelers did a series of more operations to make it somewhat better , but she was told this is the hand you were dealt with at birth sorry.
I just got pissed when lake said ban em all. Has he lived with chronic pain that never goes away his whole life through no fault of his own then get chastized by anyone that found out he took pain meds? Did lake get cancer that spread to the bones and still lived on half the meds he was on until two months before he died? Hell no he has not. To top it off both of your brothers died of opiate ABUSE and my nephew suffered from ABUSE so you hide your suffering so one calls you a junkie?

No matter how thin you slice it there are two sides. One side ABUSERS the other side folks like you suffer like she did because of the bad apples.

Voncloud I did not mean for that post to look like an attack on you. I thank you for your condolences. While typing I will add 88,000 people in the USA are estimated to die annually from alcohol related illness. Third behind #1 tobacco and # 2 poor diet and lack of exercise.

Sure are a whole lot of corporatons making commercials of beautiful young peeps on the beach looking cool drinking. Lets go after those guys.

Sure are whole lot of mega corps producing mega crap food that kills that have addictive msg in their products. Lets go after them.

Whole lot of addictive high tech phones and games and movies which keep folks from exercising and sleeping made by mega corps lets go after them too.

No, how about a bit of personal resposibilty. With all the info available to humans nowadays they should maybe check up on what the doctor gave them and not consider a white coat a God that knows all or in some cases even cares. After all they are only human.Trust me I know my grandfather had a PRACTICE in Morgantown Ky and my grandmother was his head RN.

Medicating everyone is stupid, and these companies and doctors are corrupt AF. However, I want to also thank the idiots with no self control for ruining it for people who can actually follow directions and need it.

originally posted by: Peeple
a reply to: lakenheath24

The real problem are the doctors I'd say. It's not like the pharma companies are pushing this on your door. And there are circumstances under which nothing but opiods helps.
If doctors wouldn't be so lazy and incompetent they'd prescribe the appropriate medicine for the cause and not just the one pain killer they can remember.

I told my doctor that anti-depressions have a negative affect on me, I mentioned that I was suicidal at times, I advised him that when I smoked pot (legal medically in my state) it fixed my anxiety, treated my ptsd, and did not make me feel suicidal. He replied I am not going to prescribe it to you it is too much work. I have more than 2 of the conditions acceptable for receiving it. Now if the pot salespeople were able to pay "spiffs" on prescriptions like big pharma I would have my script. This was the 3rd doctor to not prescribe but was aware of my conditions. Rockapharma snake oil is the most unreported upon health crisis in this nation.

My mom had metal rods in her back too. She lived and died by her oxycontin back in 2011. Found her passed away with blue lips laying in a napping position facing the TV. The Church Channel was on. I did CPR and called 911. Of course she was already dead. The death certificate said acute oxycodone overdose. In hindsight, she was hopeless. Nobody could tell her to cut back, "it was her medicine prescribed by the doctor". She was a career nurse too. But the pain level never went away because she abused the medicine to escape from life because of the pain which I'm sure she had. Was it bad enough to stay doped up every day?

The problem is that pain level is relative to the tolerance of opioids and it never goes away. I was tolerant to them for a few years and the dosage to get theraputic effect rises exponentially. After going through withdrawal by choice, I noticed years later that if I were to take an opioid for pain relief, I'd quite literally need 2 to 3 times as much. The first dose maybe twice as much (4 instead of 2), by the third day it'd be at 6 pills instead of 2 and stay at that level only to keep increasing on a slower curve.

All this talk of kratom the wonder drug because it's an opioid receptor agonist that can alleviate mild to moderate opioid withdrawal symptoms or provide a codeine level analgesia if you're opioid naive. That stuff barely works on me either from years ago. People with no opioid history could take 2 grams and I'd have to take 8 to get noticable relief just to get it started then 8 more. That's 32 capsules. 64 in a day spread into 4 doses would be no problem. I'd never look intoxicated or fall asleep from it either.

Her family doctor before her pain management doctor had his license taken away and I remember him. He prescribed me vicodin and xanax for irritable bowel syndrome lol. Xanax first of course because it isn't an opioid yet benzos are worse and cause worse brain damage from "theraputic" use. She was on both opioids and benzos for years.

If this sounds familiar, it is. It's similar to most middle age+ mothers. God forbid benzos were banned because the fabric of American society would break with all of the matriarchs going quite literally insane. I watched her have a seizure from running out of her "anxiety" medication too. She was only on 3 pills per day of it but for several years. I was on the phone with her actually, I was downstairs. She made a weird sound and I ran up to find her convulsing with eyes rolled up. Had to call the paramedics.

That happens to anyone who abruptly stops taking anxiety medication after years of daily use. Give them an alcoholic beverage and watch the sickness disappear. Yep, they're 100% cross tolerant except controlled anxiety medications are much more potent on the receptors and stay plugged into them much longer.

Growing up, almost everyone's mom got pain meds, anxiety meds, or both. They're all naive functioning addicts and not the kind that seek a fix to get high. This is predominantly a physical dependence that causes the systems in the body to require it to function normally and often times the user doesn't even know it until they run out one day. It's not the patients faults, they usually are completely ignorant to it until it's too late.