Reuters: US appeals court revives $2.5 billion opioid lawsuit

A U.S. appeals court has reinstated a $2.5 billion lawsuit against drug distributors Cencora, McKesson Corp., and Cardinal Health, as reported by Reuters. The suit alleges the companies contributed to the opioid addiction crisis in Cabell County and the City of Huntington, West Virginia. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a 2022 ruling that had sided with the distributors. The appeals court determined the lower court erred in concluding the companies did not create a "public nuisance" by supplying a substantial quantity of addictive opioids to local pharmacies. The case has been remanded for re-evaluation to determine the companies' potential liability for the costs of addiction treatment and prevention programs. The ruling highlighted allegations that the companies failed to report numerous "suspicious" large orders of opioids to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.