Overturning a $465m verdict against J&J, Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects claim opioid sales violated a public right. It says a manufacturer does not have control of its product once it is sold and cannot be held perpetually liable for its products.

Judge’s dismissal of all claims against opioid makers offers hope they can win other cases and may push forward settlements. But it is ‘bookend’ by the Oklahoma case that reached a dramatically divergent conclusion, so while significant, it is only a single data point, Stanford law professor says.

NY AG has ‘no comment’ on whether criminal charges will be pursued against company executives; NC AG predicts ‘north of 40 states’ expected to accept settlement and would then need to convince municipalities to come on board. States with ongoing litigation against manufacturers may opt for jury trial instead. 

Market Snapshot: GSK's Blenrep and BMS's Abecma are the first of many drugs for the late-line setting. In many cases, the CAR-T may be the first choice, but some patients are unable to handle it or risk progressing while awaiting treatment.