A federal panel of judges is set to hear oral arguments next month to decide whether lawsuits related to Suboxone tooth decay, currently spread across the federal court system, should be consolidated before a single judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings.
Both the manufacturer of the opioid addiction drug and plaintiffs' lawyers support this move. Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) gained FDA approval in 2002 for treating recovering opioid addicts by alleviating withdrawal symptoms during therapy. Originally available as a tablet, the drug makers later introduced Suboxone film, dissolved beneath the tongue.
However, users have reported severe dental injuries, including tooth decay and loss, leading former users to file lawsuits against the drug maker for allegedly failing to disclose these risks to users and the medical community.
In early 2022, Suboxone tooth decay warnings were added to the medication following the FDA's identification of over 300 reported cases of dental problems. Plaintiffs argue that adequate warnings could have prevented permanent dental damage, emphasizing that they should have been informed about the risks and advised on preventive measures against enamel erosion and tooth loss.
To address the common issues raised in complaints filed nationwide, several plaintiffs jointly submitted a motion to the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on November 14. They called for the centralization of all Suboxone lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The manufacturer subsequently supported this request in a filing on December 6, highlighting the need for consolidated pretrial proceedings due to the expanding litigation.
The oral arguments before the federal panel of judges aim to determine whether consolidating these cases will streamline discovery and pretrial procedures, ensuring efficiency and coherence in handling the Suboxone tooth decay lawsuits. The outcome of these proceedings may significantly impact the future trajectory of the litigation and the resolution of claims against the drug manufacturer.
