Pharma faces justice in the US for the opio crisis

New York (AWP / AFP) – Jury selection kicked off on Wednesday in the United States in anticipation of a landmark trial over the country's opium crisis, as drug companies stepped up their efforts to find a settlement. amicably before the beginning of the hearings.

This first federal trial is supposed to determine the responsibilities in this crisis that has made more than 400,000 deaths by overdoses since the late 90s.

For now, the federal judge Dan Polster, based in Ohio (north) and responsible for this sprawling case gathering more than 2,300 complaints of local authorities of all kinds, who hope to make pay the pharmaceutical industry for the colossal costs generated by this crisis, has maintained its schedule. The selection of jurors began Wednesday, before the opening of the trial Monday morning.

At the dock were expected from many pharmaceutical companies accused of having fueled the opiate crisis by aggressively promoting ultra-addictive drugs such as oxycodone, as well as wholesalers and networks of pharmacies, accused of having encouraged their overconsumption.

But several laboratories have recently reached agreements amicably with the two counties whose complaints must be used as a test in this case. Including the Purdue laboratory, manufacturing the famous OxyContin opiate, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, offering to pay between $ 10 and $ 12 billion to settle all the complaints against it.

The Israel-based Teva Lab and three major drug wholesalers, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, responsible for distributing 90% of US drugs, are now the main remaining defendants.

These companies, as well as the Johnson & Johnson laboratory that has reached an agreement with both counties but remains subject to many other complaints, are now trying to reach an amicable settlement before Monday.

The outline of an agreement would have been found with several states, cities and counties, said Wednesday the New York Times. These companies would be willing to pay some $ 50 billion to get off the list of accused, an invoice they pay in cash and medical treatment, according to the newspaper.

Asked by AFP, a source close to the file confirmed that companies had made proposals corresponding to this amount, wholesalers offering $ 18 billion, Johnson & Johnson four billion, and Teva up to $ 29 billion, payable generic drugs.

But according to this source, there is no agreement at this stage. None of the companies concerned has confirmed this information. If these agreements were to be confirmed, the trial would probably be postponed.

afp / jh