Just a day after the Oklahoma State Supreme Court refused to allow more time for a group of opioid manufacturers to get ready for a trial in Cleveland County District Court, Purdue Pharma is expected to announce a settlement Tuesday.
The defendants had asked to delay the May 28 start date. With Monday’s announcement of the Court’s decision, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter claimed a small victory.
“The Supreme Court made the right decision,” Hunter said. “By refusing to review Judge Balkman’s prior decision, we are still on track for trial, where we seek justice for Oklahomans who have been affected by the ongoing opioid epidemic. Every day that goes by, we lose more of our loved ones to overdoses or down the tragic road of addiction. The team and I are pleased by today’s ruling. We appreciate the quick action taken by the court and for not rewarding the defendants with more time for a problem of their own making. We continue to prepare for trial, where we will present evidence to prove the state’s case.”
According to a report by The Oklahoman’s Randy Ellis, the Attorney General’s Office announced it would be holding a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Tulsa related to the case. You can find that report here.
It appears that at least one of the pharmaceutical companies has decided to settle. Bloomberg’s Jef Feeley writes Purdue Pharma has agreed to settle the case in Oklahoma. However, details of the settlement have not yet been released. As of the publication of this post, Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries are still set for trial. You can read the Bloomberg story here.
The court filings can be found here.
