An Oklahoma judge refused Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson & Teva Pharmaceutical's request to delay a trial that accuses them of fueling the opioid crisis last week. Afterward, Purdue Pharma said its decision on whether to file for bankruptcy won't be determined by the timing of the trial — the first one Purdue must face, according to Bloomberg.
"The company is looking at all of its options, but we have made no decisions, and have not set any timetables," a Purdue spokesperson told Bloomberg.
The Oklahoma trial will start in May, and state attorneys general are seeking to recover as much as $25 billion to address current and future costs of dealing with the opioid epidemic.
Purdue executives said they are disappointed by the judge's decision and argue that the Oklahoma attorney general's office has failed to turn over thousands of documents, which has "unfairly prejudiced Purdue's ability to adequately prepare our defenses."
Oklahoma lawmakers claim that Purdue repeatedly has threatened to file for bankruptcy to get out of facing a jury. They say Purdue wants to delay the trial to get more time to prepare its Chapter 11 case.
Read the full report here.