US pharmaceutical gaint faces trial over opioid overdose epidemic

Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest drug manufacturers, has gone on trial in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit by the US state of Oklahoma.

Prosecutors accuse the firm of deceptively marketing painkillers and downplaying addiction risks, fuelling a so-called "opioid epidemic".

Johnson & Johnson denies wrongdoing and says it marketed products responsibly.

It is the first of 2,000 cases brought by state, local and tribal governments against pharmaceutical firms in the US.

On average, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2017, of the 70,200 people who died from an overdose, 68% involved a prescription or illegal opioid.

State lawyer Brad Beckworth said Johnson & Johnson are marketing opioids as "safe and effective for everyday pain" but downplayed addictive qualities and thus helped to create a drug oversupply.

"If you have an oversupply, people will die," he said.

Mike Hunter, Oklahoma's attorney general, told the court that it was time to hold the companies "responsible for their actions". 

"This is the worst man-made public health crisis in our state's history. To put it bluntly, this crisis is devastating Oklahoma," he said.

BBC