US “Opioid” abused 50,000 deaths a year in a lawsuit by a pharmaceutical company on September 22 at 15:29

In the United States, nearly 50,000 people die each year due to drug addiction caused by abuse of painkillers called “opioids”, which is a serious social problem. Over 2000 cases have been filed against pharmaceutical companies in the United States over this issue, and some of them have been affected due to a large amount of settlements, and some pharmaceutical companies have failed.

Opioids are painkillers that use poppy ingredients, etc., and have been widely prescribed in the United States since the mid-1990s. As a result, the number of people who become addicted to abuse has increased, making it a serious social problem.

The number of deaths due to overdose was 18,515 in 2007, but rapidly increased to 47,600 in 2017 10 years later, and the Trump administration declared a “emergency” this year. It is.

There are more than 2,000 lawsuits in the United States that claim damages against pharmaceutical companies, etc., because pharmaceutical companies and doctors easily sell or prescribe this issue.

Last month, a major pharmaceutical company, Johnson & Johnson, received a compensation order of 60 billion yen in Japanese yen. On the 15th of this month, "Purdue Pharma" paid 1 trillion yen in Japanese yen. A bankruptcy occurred due to the need for more settlement.

The impact is expected to spread further on the 21st of next month, with a case in which more than 100 companies will be screened in Ohio courts as a defendant, bringing together litigation from various regions.

Death due to abuse

In the United States, the death toll from opioid abuse is almost 47,600 per year, and 130 people per day are lost.

This is significantly more than the 37,000 deaths caused by traffic accidents in the United States in the same year.

Opioids have long been used as painkillers for cancer, etc., but according to the OECD = Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, from around 1995 when pharmaceutical companies promoted sales and doctors began to prescribe relatively easily, That means that consumption has increased significantly.

Some companies underestimated the risks of addiction, and as a result, more people became addicted and became a serious social problem.

According to a report compiled by the Presidential Economic Advisory Committee in November 2017, just after President Trump declared a state of emergency, economic negative effects such as a decline in productivity caused by opioid problems and an increase in medical costs The cost of the US GDP as of 2015 is 504 billion dollars, equivalent to 2.8% of the gross domestic product, and 54 trillion yen in Japanese yen.

Pharmaceutical companies are in remote areas

“Purdue Pharma,” whose bankruptcy occurred on the 15th of this month, had been harshly regarded as actively selling opioids.

Purdue Pharma has many lawsuits for damages and has agreed to settle with 24 states, etc., but the Japanese Civil Rehabilitation Act is required to prepare a settlement of more than 1 trillion yen in Japanese yen. Application for the application of Article 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Law was filed.

However, some states still do not agree, so a complete settlement has not been reached.

The Suckler family, the owner of Purdue Pharma, is said to be one of the best millionaires in the United States, and plans to prepare 300 billion yen out of this 1 trillion yen settlement. There is also.

In addition, “Marincklot”, which also improved its business results in opioid manufacturing, had a stock price of $ 132 in March 2015 plummeted, and now it is around $ 2 and 60 minutes. Many affiliated companies face a tough business environment, such as falling to 1.

The cause of death of the world-famous singer Prince, who died three years ago, was an overdose of the opioid, fentanyl.

Expert "Relief requires huge funds

David Amselem, a research analyst who is familiar with the pharmaceutical industry, said, “There is also a request from the plaintiff that the remedy that needs to be remedied as soon as possible in the trial that begins next month. It is thought that a story like the creation of a “fund” in which each company contributes funds will come out.

For corporations, a huge amount of money is required over a long period of time, so the financial situation may deteriorate. "