Johnson & Johnson responds to opioid case, promises to defend against baby powder suits
Johnson & Johnson executives responded to Oklahoma’s opioid lawsuit against the company and the lawsuits it faces over baby powder in a conference call Tuesday.
The company is under criminal investigation for allegedly lying to the public about the cancer risks found in its ever-popular baby powder, Bloomberg reported. Johnson & Johnson Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk said in the conference call that the company vowed to defend itself against the lawsuits.
Company executives also addressed Oklahoma’s ongoing lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson. He said the “facts don’t align to what the state is claiming."
On Monday, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said Johnson & Johnson was a “kingpin” company that helped fuel the most devastating public health crisis in the state’s history. He made the argument during the close of his case against the manufacturer.
Attorneys for the state maintain the company and its subsidiaries created a public nuisance by launching a "cunning, cynical and deceitful" marketing campaign that overstated the benefits of opioid drugs for treating chronic pain and understated the risk of addiction.
"There was a simple reason for the crisis: greed," Attorney General Mike Hunter said. "The greed of the pharmaceutical companies caused the crisis."
The case is being watched closely because it’s the first state case to proceed to trial. It could also help shape negotiations over roughly 1,500 similar lawsuits filed by state, local and tribal governments that have been consolidated before a federal judge in Ohio.
The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries, including Janssen Pharmaceuticals, argue they participated in a lawful and strictly-regulated industry and that their marketed products represent only a tiny fraction of the opioids used in Oklahoma.