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'I'm going to make them pay for what they have done': Arkansas suing 3 opioid manufacturers

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a lawsuit against Endo, Purdue, and Johnson & Johnson.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced that she plans to file a lawsuit against three opioid manufacturers on behalf of the State. Governor Asa Hutchinson was on hand for the announcement at the capitol.

The suit is being brought against Purdue, Johnson & Johnson and Endo. Rutledge tweeted that this is in response to the opioid abuse epidemic.

"The health and [wellbeing] of the public must always come first," she tweeted. "Drug companies should never place their desire for profits above the health of their customers."

Credit: KTHV
Logos for Johnson&Johnson, Purdue, and Endo.

Her assertion that profits have contributed to the disregard of what has become a public health crisis by opioid manufacturers is backed up by another tweet.

"Opioids generated $11 billion in revenue for drug companies in 2014 alone," Rutledge said in the tweet.

THV11's Katlyn Gardenhire reached out to the manufacturers for statements regarding the lawsuit.

Stephen Mock, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs with Endo responded, "It is Endo's policy not to comment on current litigation."

Jessica Castles Smith, spokesperson of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [Johnson & Johnson] issued a statement that said, "Our actions in the marketing and promotion of these medicines were appropriate and responsible. The labels for our prescription opioid pain medicines provide information about their risks and benefits, and the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated. In fact, our medications have some of the lowest rates of abuse among this class of medications. Opioid abuse and addiction are serious public health issues. We are committed to being part of the ongoing dialogue and to doing our part to find ways to address this crisis."

Advocates for this issue say that this announcement has been a long time coming, they believe this is one of the first big steps to end the opioid epidemic. Recovery coordinator for the Exodus Project, Jimmy McGill, was one of those advocates. “I think it's about time. I think the manufactures of opiates knew what they were doing when they launched and I think it's about time they start reimbursing for some of the damages that they've done,” he said.

THV11 is committed to covering the opioid epidemic's effects in Arkansas through our series Saving a Generation. Visit that section of our website for continuing coverage of the crisis.

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