Covington & Burling
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Cabell County and Huntington plan to appeal federal opioid verdict
CHARLESTON – Cabell County and the City of Huntington will appeal last month’s federal verdict for the nation’s three largest drug distributors. -
Judge rules in favor of opioid distributors in Huntington, Cabell cases
CHARLESTON – After more than 11 months, a federal judge has ruled in favor of three drug distribution companies, saying their actions did not cause the opioid epidemic in Huntington and Cabell County. -
Expert says Huntington/Cabell need more sufficient, longstanding treatment programs
CHARLESTON – Testifying in the bellwether opioid trial, a expert witness on pharmaceutical-related abatement programs said he does not believe Cabell County has sufficient treatment programs to fight the opioid epidemic. -
Former Huntington police chief holds back tears during testimony
CHARLESTON – Testifying in the bellwether federal opioid trial, Huntington's former chief of police shared the pain he felt as watching his community be taken over by addiction. -
Child welfare expert discusses needs for Opioid Use Disorder exposed children
CHARLESTON – At the federal trial against three major opioid distributors, a child welfare expert showed the impact of Opioid Use Disorder on children and the rising need – and lack – of proper resources. -
Data shows Cabell County had some of nation’s top opioid prescribers
CHARLESTON – Tension remained high in the courtroom of the landmark federal opioid trial as plaintiffs and defendants argued expert witness reports and testimonies. -
Defense blames doctor’s overprescribing, tries to discredit expert witness report
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial entered its sixth week, tensions rose as defendants spent the day trying to discredit a report by a substance use disorder epidemiologist. -
Expert data shows Cabell County outweighed West Virginia, nation in prescription opioid abuse and harm
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial concluded its fifth week, an opioid abuse epidemiologist shared data connecting causation between prescription opioids and opioid use disorder. -
Overdose data shows growing trends of opioid-related drug poisonings
CHARLESTON – An expert epidemiologist who analyzed Cabell County and West Virginia overdose data to show opioid trends in death rates soared from 2001 to 2017. -
Rannazzisi's testimony repeatedly challenged, questioned and stifled
CHARLESTON – A key former Drug Enforcement Administration official spent the day on the witness stand giving testimony between objections, legal limitations and frustrations. -
Rannazzisi testimony tries to shift blame away from DEA
CHARLESTON – A key former Drug Enforcement Administration officials took the stand in the landmark federal opioid trial, opening his testimony by saying drug distribution centers were well-equipped to prevent diversion. -
Drug companies grill addiction science director about funding numbers, program timelines
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial concluded its fourth week, attorneys for Cardinal Health probed an addiction science professor from Marshall University about recovery programs and estimated costs. -
Cabell sheriff paints picture of opioid crisis through testimony
CHARLESTON – At the landmark federal opioid trial, Cabell County Sherriff Chuck Zerkle testified being directly involved in Huntington, once deemed “epicenter of the opioid crisis,” has evolved. -
Drug distributors object to expert witness with DEA background looking at company data
CHARLESTON – All three major drug distribution companies objected to Cabell County and Huntington attorneys bringing in an expert witness with a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration background to examine opioid data. -
McKesson warned customers nearing threshold limits
CHARLESTON – Attorneys representing Cabell County and the City of Huntington probed a McKesson sales representative on warning customers of nearing threshold limits, pushing increases and pushing sales – including controlled substances. -
Emails show McKesson employees felt 'overwhelmed,' 'not possible to be truly diligent'
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial entered its fourth week, plaintiffs jumped into McKesson Corporation’s threshold guidelines and due diligence process. -
At opioid trial, drug distributors continue to push blame toward DEA
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial nears the end of its third week, testimony focused on Cardinal Health’s acknowledgement and regulations related to excessive controlled substance ordering. -
Lawyers continue to question company's knowledge of excessive opioid shipments
CHARLESTON – As the landmark opioid trial continues, lawyers brought in a former AmerisourceBergen’s sales executive to ask what he knew about more than 32 million prescription pain pills being shipped to Huntington and the rest of Cabell County over an eight-year span. -
Opioid data: Threshold kept increasing as Huntington/Cabell received more than 36.2M doses in 8 years
CHARLESTON – As the federal trial against three major opioid distributors continued, data showing pharmacies in Huntington and Cabell County were ordering well above the national average of controlled substances, some ordering more than five times the national average. -
During testimony, official says Cabell Co. has data linking painkillers to illegal drug use
Meanwhile, the drug distributors -- McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health -- sought to put the focus on the role of prescribers, as well as health officials' decision not to go after distributors earlier.