Judge Wants Lawsuits against Drug Makers to Have a Common Goal

A federal judge on Tuesday likened the nation’s opioid epidemic to the deadly 1918 flu pandemic while noting the drug crisis is “100 percent manmade.” Judge Dan Polster urged participants on all sides of lawsuits against drugmakers and distributors to work toward a common goal of reducing overdose deaths. The judge is overseeing more than 180 lawsuits against drug companies brought by local communities across the country, including many in West Virginia. Polster said the goal must be reining in the amount of painkillers available.