Appeals Court Upholds Block of Drug Pricing Transparency
A DC Circuit court upheld a federal judge’s ruling striking down the Department of Health and Human Services’ new rule requiring drug companies to disclose the price of a 30 day supply in advertising. Merck, Eli Lilly and Amgen argued that disclosing drug prices in advertisements violates their first amendment rights by controlling and compelling […]
Pharmacies Face New Suit In Opioids Crisis
A new court filing against big American pharmacy retailers has been submitted in the multi-district litigation in Ohio Federal Court overseen by Judge Dan Polster. The complaint accuses major pharmacies, including CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart and Giant Eagle of being complicit in perpetuating the crisis as manufactures and distributors of the addictive drugs. The […]
$8 Billion Risperdal Verdict Tops Legal News in 2019
April 2020 Update: Stephen Sheller has been recognized by the American Association for Justice with AAJ’s 2019 Top Verdict Award. “Each year, American Association for Justice releases the Top Verdicts Litigation Packet, featuring the opening statements and closing arguments from the previous year’s top cases. Congratulations on the impressive result you secured for your clients […]
DOJ Blocks Criminal Charges Against Walmart in Opioid Crisis
A recent ProPublica investigative report calls into question the Trump Administration’s commitment to ending the opioid crisis, criminally charging those responsible, and ensuring that protections are in place to prevent another crisis. Even as President Trump held television news conferences vowing to take a hard stance in combatting the opioid crisis and prosecute pharmaceutical companies […]
Risperdal Case Reinstated After Janssen Appeal Denied
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to hear Janssen Pharmacuetical’s request for an appeal of a lower courts decision to reinstate the lawsuit of a Texas man who took Risperdal as a child. The Pennsylvania Superior Court’s decision to allow Tommy Moroni’s suit against Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to go back to trial will stand. July 2019, the Pennsylvania […]
Pharma Execs Admits to Deceptive Marketing of Opioids
In a rare admission to PBS Frontline & the Finical Times, a pharmaceutical executive acknowledged that he knowingly orchestrated an illegal scheme to boost sales of a powerful opiate painkiller believing there would be no consequences for him personally. Alec Burlakoff, Insys’ former head of sales received a 26-month sentence for charges related his role in the pharmaceutical company which […]
Plaintiff’s Counsel Vows to Have $8B Risperdal Verdict Reinstated
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Kenneth Powell reduced an October 2019 $8 billion punitive damages verdict against J&J to $6.8 million. A jury had awarded the figure over allegations that J&J’s drug Risperdal caused the plaintiff to grow breasts as a young boy. The $6.8 million reduced verdict is 10 times the jury verdict […]
State and Local Lawmakers Goals Conflict in Opioid Litigation
Plaintiffs’ in the multi-district litigation, which consisting of more than 2,500 cities and counties, suing opioid manufacturers and distributors for their role in the opioid crisis find they have conflicting goals with state lawmakers in the ongoing opioid litigation. State attorneys general are adamant on taking drug manufacturers and distributors to trial in hopes of winning a […]
Sheller 11th Street Family Health Supports Alumni Turkey Drive
The Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University is one of the many ways that the Sheller family gives back to the community. Since the health center’s inception in 1996, it has been a community partner helping Drexel Alumni distribute holiday meals to those in need. Drexel’s Annual Holiday Charity […]
Superior Court Upholds $70M Risperdal Verdict
A Pennsylvania Superior Court has rejected Johnson & Johnson’s appeal of a 2016 $70 million verdict awarded to a 20 year-old Tennessee man, Andrew Yount (A.Y.) who developed gynecomastia after taking the antipsychotic drug Risperdal since he was 4-1/2 years old. Gynecomastia is an irreversible condition caused by an increase in the hormone prolactin and […]
