Illinois sues pharmaceutical companies over opioid crisis
CHICAGO - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed a lawsuit against several pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson, alleging they carried out "unfair and deceptive" marketing campaigns contributing to the opioid crisis.
Raoul said Wednesday that the opioid manufacturers and distributors "selfishly and irresponsibly sacrificed the health and safety of Illinois residents" for financial gain.
The lawsuit filed in Cook County names four pharmaceutical companies including Endo, Teva and Allergan, along with several distributors. Johnson & Johnson says the opioid crisis is a complex public health issue and is working to find ways to help. The other companies didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.
Separately, Illinois was among several states that sued OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma earlier this year.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 18,000 people in Illinois died from opioid overdoses from 1997 to 2017.