The Company filed a third lawsuit in the District of Delaware, asserting one additional Orange Book Patent, on May 9, 2019. Teva responded to the Company’s complaint on June 6, 2019, alleging that the asserted patent is invalid and is not infringed by Teva’s proposed ANDA products, and asserting counterclaims of non-infringement and invalidity of the asserted patent. The Company answered Teva’s counterclaims on June 27, 2019. No schedule has been entered in the third lawsuit.
Opioid Litigation
On March 19, 2018, a lawsuit was filed by multiple local governments in the Circuit Court of Crittenden County, Arkansas, against the Company and other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors alleging a variety of claims related to opioid marketing and distribution practices. On January 29, 2019, the Company was dismissed from this litigation without prejudice.
On March 21, 2018, the Company, along with other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, were named in a class-action lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky by a family practice clinic, on behalf of other similarly-situated healthcare providers. The action alleges violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) relating to opioid marketing and distribution practices. On April 14, 2018, the lawsuit was conditionally transferred by the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation to the federal Prescription Opiate Multi District Litigation (the “MDL”) in the Southern District of Ohio. On April 10, 2018, the conditional transfer was finalized and the lawsuit was docketed in the MDL on April 11, 2018. On May 4, 2018, the Company, along with other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, were named in two lawsuits filed in the MDL by the Fiscal Court of Bourbon County, Kentucky and the Fiscal Court of Owen County, Kentucky, relating to opioid marketing and distribution practices. On June 11 and 12, 2018, the Company was named in four lawsuits filed in the MDL by a health system and various member hospitals. On September 26, 2018, the Company was named in two lawsuits filed in the MDL by the Fiscal Court of Lee County, Kentucky and the Fiscal Court of Wolfe County, Kentucky. On March 15, 2019, the Company was named in an additional lawsuit in the MDL by the City of Paterson, New Jersey. The lawsuits all seek, generally, penalties and/or injunctive relief. On March 15, 2019, the plaintiffs in all of the MDL cases in which the Company was named, except for the City of Paterson case, filed amended complaints which no longer name the Company as a defendant, effectively terminating these lawsuits as to the Company. The City of Paterson lawsuit is not designated as a representative case in the MDL and, therefore, is effectively currently stayed. In April 2019, the City of Norwich, Connecticut and the Town of Enfield, Connecticut filed lawsuits in Connecticut Superior Court. The lawsuits allege violations of fraud, public nuisance, negligent misrepresentation, and violations of state consumer protection laws. On June 28, 2019, both cases were transferred to the MDL, where they are effectively stayed.
On May 29, 2018, a lawsuit was filed by Bucks County, Pennsylvania against the Company and other pharmaceutical manufacturers and on June 12, 2018, a lawsuit was filed by Clinton County, Pennsylvania, against the Company and other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. On June 6, 2018, a lawsuit was filed by Mercer County, Pennsylvania, against the Company and other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. These lawsuits allege claims related to opioid marketing and distribution, including negligence, fraud, unjust enrichment, public nuisance, and violations of state consumer protections laws. These cases have been consolidated for discovery purposes in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas as part of a consolidated proceeding of similar lawsuits brought by numerous Pennsylvania counties against other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. In March 2019, three additional
cases were filed in Pennsylvania by two payor groups and Warminster Township. In July 2019, the Company learned of additional lawsuits alleging similar claims which were filed by Warrington Township in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, and filed by the City of Lock Haven in the Clinton County Court of Common Pleas. The City of Lock Haven case has been coordinated into the consolidated proceeding before the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas; the Warrington Township case is pending transfer. None of these cases have been designated a Track One case in which discovery would commence, and therefore are effectively stayed at present.
On July 30, 2018, a lawsuit was filed by the City of Worcester, Massachusetts against the Company and other pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. The action alleges a variety of claims related to opioid marketing and distribution practices including public nuisance, common law fraud, negligent misrepresentation, negligence, violations of Mass Gen. Laws ch. 93A, Section 11, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy. In February 2019, the City of Worcester case was transferred to the Business Litigation Session of the Superior Court. Additional lawsuits brought by the following cities and counties Massachusetts were filed between October 2018 and April 2019: City of Salem, City of Framingham, Town of Lynnfield, City of Springfield, City of Haverhill, City of Gloucester, Town of Canton, Town of Wakefield, City of Chicopee; Town of Natick; City of Cambridge, and Town of Randolph. With the exception of the