⁍ New York state filed civil charges on Thursday accusing Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N of insurance fraud for downplaying the risks of opioid painkillers.
⁍ New York said Johnson & Johnson manufactured opioid products in the state such as the fentanyl patch Duragesic and drug Nucynta.
⁍ The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company was charged with violating two New York insurance laws, with civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
– New York state has filed charges against Johnson & Johnson, accusing the company of downplaying the risks of opioid painkillers and targeting the elderly with misleading marketing, Reuters reports. “Misrepresentation of opioids to consumers for profit is inexcusable,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. According to the Wall Street Journal, New York is the latest state to go after the opioid industry, after charges were filed last month against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Allergan, Endo International, and Mallinckrodt. New York says Johnson & Johnson manufactured opioid products in the state, including the fentanyl patch Duragesic and drug Nucynta. The company was charged with violating two New York insurance laws, with civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals affiliate were accused of specifically targeting elderly patients for opioid treatment despite the risks, and in marketing materials characterizing opioid addiction as a myth. “Misrepresentation of opioids to consumers for profit is inexcusable,” Cuomo said in the statement. New York said Johnson & Johnson manufactured opioid products in the state such as the fentanyl patch Duragesic and drug Nucynta, and said its ‘Norman Poppy’ was once responsible for as much as 80% of the global supply for oxycodone raw materials.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-new-york-opioids/new-york-charges-johnson-johnson-with-insurance-fraud-over-opioid-claims-idUSKBN2682HF