Below are nine legal actions involving members of the drug supply chain, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies, pharmacists and distributors, reported by Becker's Hospital Review in the last two weeks.
1. Purdue Pharma hit with 4 more opioid lawsuits: 4 things to know
Three more states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits June 3 accusing Purdue Pharma of falsely marketing OxyContin and downplaying the risks of addiction, helping to fuel the opioid epidemic.
2. Heritage Pharma pleads guilty to price-fixing: 6 things to know
Heritage Pharmaceuticals, a generic drugmaker in Eatontown, N.J., pleaded guilty May 31 to conspiring to fix prices for its diabetes drug glyburide, the U.S. Justice Department said.
3. Pharma exec Martin Shkreli sues Retrophin directors from prison
Disgraced former pharmaceutical company executive Martin Shkreli, currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for defrauding investors, has sued two directors and a former general counsel of Retrophin, the pharmaceutical company he founded.
4. 2 former pharmacists sentenced for unsafe production of drugs
Two former pharmacists of a Massachusetts drug compounding center blamed for a meningitis outbreak described as the deadliest ever to be caused by a prescription drug, have been sentenced.
5. Pharma company pays $3.5M to settle kickback claims
Almirall, formerly named Aqua Pharmaceuticals, agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve allegations that it paid physicians kickbacks to boost prescriptions, the U.S. Justice Department announced May 29.
6. Louisiana drug distributor pays $22M to settle opioid charges
Morris & Dickson, a drug distributor based in Shreveport, La., agreed to pay $22 million to settle allegations that it failed to report thousands of suspicious opioid orders.
7. Nation's 1st opioid trial begins: 6 things to know
The first trial related to the opioid crisis in the U.S. against a drugmaker began May 28 in Oklahoma.
8. Teva to pay $85M to settle Oklahoma opioid lawsuit
Teva Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay $85 million to resolve Oklahoma's claims that the company helped fuel the opioid epidemic with deceptive marketing practices.
9. Colorado pharmacy owner gets prison time for illegal distribution of narcotics
The owner of St. Vrain Pharmacy in Lyons, Colo., pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of narcotics and was sentenced to six months in federal prison.