McKesson, Cardinal to Test Opioid Defense in West Virginia Trial
- Local governments claim distributors helped fuel opioid crisis
- City and county are seeking $2.6 billion from the companies
Photographer: Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images
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The three largest U.S. drug distributors will get to test their defenses to accusations that they helped fueled the opioid epidemic as the first trial over such claims kicks off on Monday in West Virginia.
McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. are heading to West Virginia federal court in a suit brought by two municipalities in the state. Cabell County and the city of Huntington are seeking $2.6 billion to beef up treatment and policing budgets to address the fallout from opioid addiction and overdoses. The non-jury trial will be decided by U.S. District Judge David Faber.