Ex-Drug CEO’s Criminal Trial Raises Stakes for Opioid Producers

A novel opioid trial against a drugmaker CEO could put executives in the painkiller space on alert and deter companies from pursuing innovative medications for fear of liability.

Laurence F. Doud III, former head of Rochester Drug Co-Operative Inc., is on the hook for allegedly scheming to distribute addictive drugs to pharmacies that were previously flagged for questionable practices, and for allegedly blocking efforts to report them to the government. A Manhattan jury began deliberations Tuesday.

Doud, who could face life in prison, is among the few drug company higher ups to face criminal charges for fueling America’s addiction epidemic. ...