San Francisco Bellwether Opioid Lawsuit Trimmed but Advancing

San Francisco’s bellwether lawsuit seeking to hold drug marketers and distributors liable for the opioid epidemic is moving forward after a federal judge in California dismissed the city’s racketeering allegations while allowing all other claims to move forward.

The decision is a major development for the more than 2,700 other cases being brought by local governments against opioid makers, distributors, and pharmacies. In February, San Francisco’s suit against Purdue Pharma, McKesson Corp., Walgreen Co., and dozens of other defendants was tapped to be a bellwether case for the thousands of other lawsuits seeking to hold drug companies liable for the ...