‘ILLEGAL CONDUCT’

Washington Attorney General Sues Johnson & Johnson Over Opioid Crisis

Attorney General Bob Ferguson claimed the company was a large supplier of raw materials to make opioids.

Washington's attorney general filed a lawsuit Thursday against Johnson & Johnson, claiming the company is one of the largest suppliers of raw materials to make opioids. According to news station KING-TV, Attorney General Bob Ferguson also claimed the company “deceptively” advertised in favor of using opioids over the long term at high doses and ignored the risks of the drugs. Along with civil penalties and damages, Ferguson said he hoped a judge would order the company to relinquish its profits it made in Washington to the state for the firm’s supposedly “illegal conduct.” “Johnson & Johnson has made billions through its sale of opioids and the raw materials it sold to other companies, we expect Washington’s share to at least be in the millions,” he said, adding that the money would go towards opioid treatment, education, and prevention in Washington. Oklahoma also filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and was able to get $572 million from them. In 2017, Ferguson also filed legal action against Purdue Pharma—the Oxycontin maker that has been a major legal target for numerous states. Johnson & Johnson has not commented publicly on the matter.