Tag Archives: OCDA Tony Rackauckas

OCDA Tony Rackauckas was lead prosecutor and LOSER of the Kelly Thomas Murder Trial.  Photo: OC Register

As he did to Toyota Motors in Torrance per our post earlier this month, Orange County’s District Attorney will now take on a collection of deep-pockets, perfectly legitimate American drug firms for their legal manufacture and “deceptive marketing” of FDA-approved painkillers.

Buried in both the OC Register and the LA Times last week were two stories:

OCR:  O.C. D.A., Santa Clara County sue opioid makers for deaths.  We noted the Register is even taking some credit for the suit, saying it was “filed after an extensive series of Register columns over three years blaming much of the epidemic on drug companies”.

LAT:  Counties sue narcotics makers, alleging ‘campaign of deception’.

Per the Times:

Two California counties sued five of the world’s largest narcotics manufacturers on Wednesday, accusing the companies of causing the nation’s prescription drug epidemic by waging a “campaign of deception” aimed at boosting sales of potent painkillers such as OxyContin.  Officials from Orange and Santa Clara counties — both hit hard by overdose deaths, emergency room visits and escalating medical costs associated with prescription narcotics — contend the drug makers violated California laws against false advertising, unfair business practices and creating a public nuisance

… In Orange County, where the lawsuit alleges there is a painkiller-related death every other day, Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said he decided to pursue the case “as a matter of public protection…  Named in the suit are: Actavis, Endo Health Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Cephalon Inc.”

Bryan Suits, the new 9am-Noon host at KABC AM-790 Talk Radio had good coverage of the story on his program Thursday last (14:24 in, thru 26:20, also here): Continue reading→