Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies... announced they will appeal the $572 million civil judgment entered in Cleveland County District Court in the State of Oklahoma’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers... The judgment disregards the Company’s compliance with federal and state laws, the unique role its medicines play in the lives of the people who need them, its responsible marketing practices and that since launch, DURAGESIC®, NUCYNTA® and NUCYNTA® ER have accounted for less than one percent of total opioid prescriptions in Oklahoma as well as the United States.

“Janssen did not cause the opioid crisis in Oklahoma, and neither the facts nor the law support this outcome,” said Michael Ullmann, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Johnson & Johnson. “We recognize the opioid crisis is a tremendously complex public health issue and we have deep sympathy for everyone affected. We are working with partners to find ways to help those in need.”...