Cleveland County Judge denies defendants’ motions to dismiss
NORMAN – Attorney General Mike Hunter today released the following statement regarding Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman’s denial of opioid manufacturers’ motions to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against them for their role in creating the opioid epidemic.
“We appreciate the care with which Judge Balkman evaluated the motions to dismiss and our response, and applaud his decision to move the case forward. My team and I look forward to the next phase of this important case.
“Through decades of fraudulent marketing campaigns to doctors and consumers, these companies have been the driving force in the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, an epidemic that claimed more than 64,000 lives last year alone.
“Oklahoma continues to suffer greatly because of it. In the last three years, nearly 3,000 Oklahomans have died from overdoses and more than 1,300 newborns have tested positive for substance exposure. The opioid crisis has created a generation of addicts, who continue to struggle on a daily basis.
“These companies put profits over people and we intend to hold them accountable.”