Judge Rejects Teva’s Request to Be Tried Separately in U.S. Opioid Case, Report Says
Teva made a last minute attempt to be tried separately in opioid abuse damages case set to be held on October 21 in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. made a last minute attempt to be tried separately in opioid abuse damages case set to be held on October 21 in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, but has been refused, Reuters reported Saturday.
Teva has tried to make the claim that a separate trial would be fair as it is the only drug manufacturer on trial while the rest are distributors, but judge Dan Polster rejected its appeal after just two hours, Reuters said.
Teva and the other defendants in the case are facing over 2,000 lawsuits in the trial, though several settlements have already been reached outside the court, including by Teva. Teva’s main exposure results from its 2016 acquisition of Allergan’s generic drug business Actavis, which was one of the top U.S. sellers of opioids in 2006-2012. Wells Fargo analyst David Maris recently estimated the fine the company faces could be as high as $5 billion.
Teva. Photo: EPA
