Kentucky’s attorney general is suing another pharmaceutical manufacturer for contributing to the state’s opioid crisis. Andy Beshear filed a lawsuit today\yesterday in Fayette Circuit Court against Pennsylvania-based Teva Pharmaceuticals. In a news conference, Beshear accused Teva of promoting highly addictive Fentanyl-based cancer drugs for off-label use.
"Teva's products were approved for a narrow use, to treat cancer and end of life pain, but for Teva, that was not profitable enough," said Beshear.
Beshear says Teva marketed its drugs Actiq and Fentora to physicians other than oncologists, and that the drugs were not approved to treat chronic pain. The lawsuit against Teva is the eighth opioid-related lawsuit Beshear has filed against drug manufacturers and distributors that he says have fueled the state’s abuse of prescription pain relievers.
The attorney general is asking state lawmakers to create a trust fund for money recovered from the lawsuits. The funds would be spent solely on addressing the opioid epidemic through law enforcement, prevention, and treatment efforts.
