Sheller PC is one of five private law firms assisting the city of Philadelphia’s Law Department in its suit against pharmaceutical companies attempting to hold them accountable for the current opioid crisis. Five pharmaceutical companies are named in the suit: Allergan, Janssen (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and manufacturer of Risperdal), Endo, Cephalon, and Purdue.
The city of Philadelphia’s suit claims these pharmaceutical companies used deceptive marketing tactics to increase sales of opioids and failed to properly warn about the risk of addiction. The suit is asking courts to require three things from these pharmaceutical companies:
- pay for opioid detoxification treatments of Philadelphia residents suffering from addition to the prescription drugs
- reimburse the city for municipal services funds spend combating the crisis
- an injunction to bar the companies from promoting opioid painkillers as a safe medication
Sheller PC has been involved in some of the biggest legal cases, including record-breaking verdicts against pharmaceutical companies for deceptive marketing and failure to warn. In addition to joining the city’s lawsuit, Sheller PC’s founder Stephen Sheller and his wife Sandy combat the opioid crisis in women with a donation to My Sisters Place through The Sheller Family Foundation. My Sister’s Place is part of Jefferson University’s MATER (maternal addiction treatment education & research) program which successfully treats opioid-dependent pregnant women, women with children, and children born addicted.
Reference:
Phila. Engages Private Firms to Take on Pharma Over Opioid Crisis, The Legal Intelligencer, January 17, 2018
Also see Checkbook Science, to learn more about how pharmaceutical companies use “junk science” to promote their drugs.
Watch Vox’s video account of how the opioid crisis began and Purdue Pharma’s contribution to the crisis:
