City of Fostoria suing drug makers, doctors

The city of Fostoria is suing drug manufacturers and doctors. The lawsuit, which is to be heard by Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Steve Shuff, says the city has been forced to spend "exorbitant" amounts money for the opioid epidemic. It is a direct result of the defendants' actions, it states. The defendants are Purdue Pharma L.P., Purdue Pharma Inc., Purdue Frederick Co. Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Cephalon Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Endo Health Solutions Inc,. Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Allergan PLC, Actavis Inc., Actavis LLC, Actavis Pharma Inc., Watson Laboratories Inc., McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Amerisourcebergen Corp., Russell Portenoy, Perry Fine, Scott Fishman and Lynn Webster. "The City of Fostoria spends millions of dollars each year to provide and pay for health care, services, pharmaceutical care and other necessary services and programs on behalf of residents of its City whom are indigent or otherwise eligible for services, including payments through services such as Medicaid for prescription opioid painkillers ("opioids") which are manufactured, marketed, promoted, sold, and/or distributed by the Defendants," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit alleges the defendants reversed the popular and medical understanding of opioids "through a sophisticated and highly deceptive and unfair marketing campaign." The lawsuit seeks "amounts likely to exceed $25,000."