On May 14, 2019, the North Dakota Attorney General, Wayne Stenehjem, informed that the state would appeal against the dismissal of its suit alleging that Purdue Pharma fueled the opioid crisis.
The state along with 39 other state attorneys has sued Purdue Pharma over the opioid crisis a year ago. According to North Dakota District Judge James Hill, the claims in North Dakota's suit against Purdue attempted to mislead the benefits of long-term opioid use were barred by federal law. Also, they didn't allege any information that could provide a basis for Purdue to change its labeling without the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
More than 1,600 cases over the opioid crisis are filed largely by local governments, Native American tribes, and hospitals. The first trial in the MDL No. 2804 is set to start in October 2019.
