New York’s Attorney General Letitia James said this week that Teva misrepresented and downplayed its involvement in the opioid crisis in the U.S. and should be held accountable.
In a motion by order to show cause, James argues that despite testimony provided by Teva Pharmaceuticals — the Israel-based parent company of Teva Pharmaceuticals USA — denying having any business related to opioids in the U.S., the company did in fact use a "complete web of shell corporations" to transfer the funds into offshore accounts.
Now James is looking for Teva to be held accountable, requesting that the court overturns the previous dismissal of the company to the opioid litigation to allow for further examination of new evidence.
“We have already been successful in demonstrating the harm that Teva USA and others inflicted on New Yorkers, but this new evidence shows an even greater disregard for the pain and destruction that this company fueled,” James says. “No amount of money will ease the trauma of those impacted by this crisis, but we will continue to stand up to Big Pharma and ensure they pay New Yorkers for the damage they caused.”
Earlier this year, Teva reached a $225 million settlement with Texas over claims that the company improperly marketed highly addictive painkillers, contributing to the state's opioid crisis.
In the New York case, Teva is being accused of overseeing the launch of opioid lines in the U.S., managing decisions about whether to ship suspicious orders, and routinely traveling to the country to meet with senior federal government officials in connection with their opioid products, as well as conducting opioid-focused meetings with American physicians.