Examining Opioid Litigation Datapoints Through a Distributor & Pharmacy Lens

Followers of opioid litigation have had to navigate a multitude of recent data points.  Nephron’s Eric Percher has been sorting through them for clients with an eye towards handicapping the impact to the drug supply chain as we approach the first Opioid Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) ‘bellwether’ test case on October 21st.  From today’s note:

Following U.S. District Judge Polster’s recent rulings on motions for summary judgement that favor the plaintiff counties, we have attempted to tie together datapoints on the legal theories that will be tested in Ohio’s Cuyahoga and Summit counties in October and potential indicators of the damages or settlements that could result from the MDL process and State action (inclusive of a potential Purdue settlement). We are increasingly concerned that while shares of pharmacy chains WBA and CVS reflect dispensing liability, they have yet to price in potential liability for self-distribution activity.

Specific analyses include:

1) Judge Polster’s recent rulings on MDL motions for summary judgement;
2) News of a potential Purdue/Sackler Family global settlement;
3) The Oklahoma ruling against JNJ;
4) Settlements between Cuyahoga and Summit counties and manufacturers Malinkrodt, Endo and Allergan;
5) Support from thirteen states for the Ohio AG’s efforts to block the MDL bellwether trials; and
6) Reports that Distributor’s may have offered $10bn in a global settlement but were counter bid $45bn by a group of State AGs

For more, email info@nephronresearch.com