State attorneys general are joining forces nationwide to investigate the marketing and sales practices of several opioid manufacturers, reports Reuters.
Here are four things to know.
1. The bipartisan group includes attorneys general from Massachusetts, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania, among others.
2. While the exact number of state attorneys general involved in the investigation is unknown, the coalition contains "a majority of attorneys general from across the country," according to a statement from Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt's office.
3. The leaders will investigate whether opioid drugmakers' marketing and sales strategies contributed to the national opioid epidemic.
"We are looking into what role, if any, marketing and related practices might have played in the increasing prescription and use of these powerful and addictive drugs," District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said in a statement. "The coalition of attorneys general is using its investigative tools, including subpoenas for documents and testimony, to determine the appropriate course of action to address the opioid epidemic."
4. Officials did not specify which drugmakers are involved in the investigation. Recent lawsuits filed on behalf of Ohio and Mississippi involve Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Endo International, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Allergan, according to Reuters.