In late September, the Sixth Circuit rejected a federal judge’s certification of an artificial class, or “negotiating class” aimed at promoting a global settlement between opioid manufacturers and various cities and counties across the United States. According to U.S....
Litigation Update: FDA Denies Request to Add Birth Defect Warning to Zofran’s Label
The FDA has notified Novartis that it has rejected their request to add a birth defect warning to Zofran’s label. Plaintiffs claim that Zofran, a drug used to treat nausea for cancer and surgery patients, was also promoted by GlaxoSmithKline - the original developer...
Meet Nissen Isakov, Chair of the Technology Committee, Verus’ Board of Managers
Nissen Isakov is the Founder and CEO of LCR Embedded Systems, a provider of chassis, backplanes and integrated systems for the aerospace and defense industries. Originally from South Africa, Nissen has earned a reputation as a creative visionary with a passion for...
Litigation Update: Johnson & Johnson’s Loses Appeal on $2.1B St. Louis Talc Verdict
On November 3, Missouri’s Supreme Court refused to review a jury verdict for $2.1B that was delivered to 22 women who claimed that J&J’s talc-containing baby powder caused their ovarian cancer. That verdict was the result of a June 2018 trial where the jury found...
Litigation Update: Juul and Altria Avoid Racketeering Claims in Vaping Litigation
In an order issued on Friday, October 23, Judge Orrick denied plaintiffs’ claims on racketeering charges against Juul and Altria for their lack of specific proof to sustain those charges. Plaintiffs, however, have the option of modifying their filings to make them a...
Litigation Update: California Court Denies Bayer’s Request for Review of Verdict
On Wednesday, October 21, the California Supreme Court denied Bayer’s request to review the case of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a groundskeeper who claims that the exposure to Roundup was the cause of his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Back in August of 2018, the jury had awarded...
Litigation Update: Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty and Settles for $8.3 Billion
The DOJ has announced that Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, the opioid painkiller which had a big role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, has agreed to plead guilty to three federal criminal charges in addition to paying $8.3 billion. The agreement does not exonerate...
Meet David E. Griffith, Chair, Verus’ Board of Managers
David is the Executive Director and Head Coach of Episcopal Community Services (ECS) in Philadelphia, PA, whose focus is to address the issues of Intergenerational Poverty through stability, prevention, and transformational impact programs based on leading-edge brain...
Litigation Update: Johnson & Johnson to Reach Deal to Settle 3,000 Opioid Cases
On Tuesday, October 13, J&J announced that it was increasing its settlement deal by $1 billion for a total of $5 billion in its efforts to put an end to almost 3,000 opioid lawsuits. This is part of the original $48 billion settlement framework proposed in 2019...
Litigation Update: Johnson & Johnson Fights Back Oklahoma’s Opioid Verdict
The Oklahoma court has ruled that it will allow organizations to file friend of the court briefs in support of J&J’s efforts to overturn a $465 million judgement for their role in contributing to the opioid epidemic in Oklahoma. The key issue in last week’s brief...