The Florida AG argued that the accused pharmaceutical companies “knew that opioid are dangerous and addictive.” However, they collectively used and funded “front organizations to disseminate misinformation about the use of opioids for chronic pain treatment.
Additionally, AG Bondi noted that the defendants hired medical professionals known as key opinion leaders (KOLs) to endorse and promote the use of opioids. The KOLs touted the benefits of opioid use in the articles and speeches. They acted as if they were independent medical experts, but the reality, they served as “mouthpieces for the defendants.
Defendants gains billions while causing immense harm to Florida
Furthermore, she emphasized that the drug distributors violated their duties under Florida law and caused the opioid epidemic. They failed to monitor, report, and stop suspicious orders of opioids from their customers in the state. The distributors allegedly helped the pharmaceutical companies with their opioid marketing
AG Bondi stressed that the defendants’ failure to comply with the state law aimed at preventing the misuse of opioids led to a massive public crisis.
