01:58USA: First trial against pharmaceutical giant for opioid epidemic begins in Oklahoma
The first trial against an opioid drug manufacturer started in Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday.
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic in the United States. The company reportedly denies the charges of having conducted misleading campaigns that minimised the risks of opioids and exaggerating their benefits.
Even though it is a state court case, the whole country has an eye on the trial as its result can be used as precedent for other lawsuits against pharmaceutical opioid labs across the US.
"I'm hoping that they settle for billions of dollars, and then, the next step [is] criminal charges against the executives of these companies," said Emily Walden, who lost her 21-year-old son to an opioid overdose in 2011.
According to reports, other two pharmaceutical companies were also sued but settled out of court before going to trial. The trial will resume on Wednesday, May 29.
01:58The first trial against an opioid drug manufacturer started in Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday.
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic in the United States. The company reportedly denies the charges of having conducted misleading campaigns that minimised the risks of opioids and exaggerating their benefits.
Even though it is a state court case, the whole country has an eye on the trial as its result can be used as precedent for other lawsuits against pharmaceutical opioid labs across the US.
"I'm hoping that they settle for billions of dollars, and then, the next step [is] criminal charges against the executives of these companies," said Emily Walden, who lost her 21-year-old son to an opioid overdose in 2011.
According to reports, other two pharmaceutical companies were also sued but settled out of court before going to trial. The trial will resume on Wednesday, May 29.