Chicago Said to Weigh Suit Over Marketing of Painkillers

Should the inquiry determine that the companies made false claims, the city would then seek to recover millions of dollars in health care dollars spent on pain drugs used to treat city employees and retirees, the court filing shows.

The investigation, which began this summer, appears to be in an early phase. The city hired an outside class-action law firm, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, to handle the case. It would receive a share in any money recovered through a successful lawsuit, the filing shows.

“As part of its ongoing efforts to protect Chicago taxpayers, the city conducts reviews concerning allegations of misconduct on the part of city suppliers,” Mr. Drew said in a statement. “This subpoena is part of those ongoing efforts.”

In addition, lawsuits brought by cities, including Chicago, against makers of firearms to recover costs related to gun-related violence failed.

This is how cities like Chicago run by liberal politicians make money in the face of their failed economic policies. They raise taxes and sue large successful companies like pharmaceutical companies and gun manufacturers claiming that they are protecting the public. Businesses and anyone with financial means in these cities moves away because of violence and high taxes; so, you end up with a poverty-stricken populace and a small tax base offering few jobs.

Urban thugs learn early in life that their are few meaningful job opportunities available and turn to crime to take what they desire. Then, the Chicago city streets become a war zone where it is patently obvious that the government cannot protect citizens. And there is no money to be made in protecting their impoverished citizens from gangs and thugs.

Of course, the political elite live in suburban gated communities with armed security and a well paid police force.

Fascist economics once again.

Tax the companies.
License the companies.
Regulate the companies.
Subsidize the companies.
Make the companies dance to the tune that government plays.
Reward the companies that dance best (i.e make campaign contributions).

And, once in a while, sue the bastards just to make sure they know who's the boss.

Among other things, the inquiry is seeking to determine whether companies deceptively promoted opioids as safe and effective in the treatment of chronic pain, such as low back pain and arthritis, despite a lack of evidence to support those claims.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? Really?? There's no evidence to support claims that opiods can treat lower back and arthritis pain? Something like 3,000 years of history of opiate use for pain isn't enough for the author? Full disclosure - I have two friends who take these kinds of drugs SPECIFICALLY for lower back pain (fractured disk and herniated disk). They are both disabled, and their lives would be a living nightmare without opiods.

Safety is at least a bit questionable given the addictive nature of the drugs, but even over the counter NSAID's have their downside. The author appears to perhaps have been on something when this was written, or at least missed the critical thinking skills portion of his journalism classes.

It is also examining whether opioid producers, which paid professional medical organizations and other groups to promote use of the drugs, understated the medications’ risk of addiction and other side effects.

Again - who doesn't know that these things can get you addicted, in a world where every child is given D.A.R.E training, where people call Ben & Jerry's ice cream addictive, where there are six warning labels on every new ladder you buy, and there are at least three to four warnings on every bottle of medicine about the possible side effects?

Talk about frivolous lawsuits.

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