Oregon AG helps lead investigation of opioid makers
Attorney General Rosenblum today announced Tuesday that Oregon is on the leadership team of a multi-state investigation of manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids.
As part of the investigations, a bi-partisan group of 41 attorneys general are seeking documents and information from various manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids. This information will enable them to evaluate whether manufacturers and distributors have engaged in unlawful practices in the marketing, sales and distribution of opioids.
“Every day, more Oregon communities are struggling with opioid abuse and related deaths,” Rosenblum said. “This makes me more determined than ever to hold these companies accountable for their role in this epidemic.
“The information we are gathering now will help us determine if these manufacturers or distributors have engaged in unlawful marketing or sales practices. Working together with 40 other AG offices will allow us to both conserve resources and get to the bottom of this national tragedy,” she added.
The attorneys general served investigative subpoenas for documents and information, or Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs), on Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and their related entities, as well as a supplemental Civil Investigative Demand on Purdue Pharma.
The attorneys general also sent demand letters to opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson requesting documents about their opioid distribution business.
In 2015, Oregon was the first state to reach a settlement with Insys, the company that manufactures the schedule II opioid called Subsys. Shortly afterward, several other states followed Oregon’s lead. Previously, Oregon DOJ had issued CIDs against Purdue Pharma in 2012, and Endo in 2016. These two separate ongoing investigations have now merged into the multistate investigation.
Rosenblum commended the work of Assistant Attorney General David Hart and his investigative team for their work investigations related to pharmaceutical fraud.
