Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, Teva and Endo to face pharma's first opioid trial since 2019

Before COVID-19 hit, daily headlines swirled around pharma’s role in the opioid crisis and lawsuits piled up against drugmakers. The pandemic delayed those legal fights. But now, the reprieve is over: A major trial is slated to kick off Monday in California.

Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie’s Allergan business, Teva and Endo are set to face a virtual trial over allegations they downplayed risks of opioid addiction to boost sales of the powerful painkillers, according to reports. The counties of Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Orange have sued the companies, along with the city of Oakland, seeking a whopping $50 billion in damages.