SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two California counties have filed a lawsuit accusing five drug companies of waging
a campaign of deception to boost the sales of painkillers behind the nation’s prescription drug
addiction problem.
Orange and Santa Clara counties filed the suit Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court, alleging false
advertising, unfair competition and creating a public nuisance.
The five companies are Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, Actavis, Endo
Health Solutions Inc., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Cephalon Inc.
Much like the legal attack on tobacco companies two decades ago by many states, the current lawsuit
accuses the drug companies of making misleading and false claims about the safety of products consumed
annually by millions of Americans.
The lawsuit seeks to stop the companies’ marketing campaigns and demands unspecified damages.