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Suboxone Lawsuit Updates

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation announced it will consolidate Suboxone lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation in an order dated Feb. 2, 2024. 

Lawyers have requested that the litigation be transferred to the Northern District of Ohio, where 15 cases were filed. As of February 2024, no settlements or trial dates have been announced for Suboxone dental lawsuits.

Latest Suboxone Lawsuit Status
  • October 2024: Defendants in the MDL are expected to release electronic data on adverse event reports within the next month. This data should be produced before the next status conference, which is scheduled for Nov. 21.
  • June 2024: Judge Calabrese's recent order established a procedure to put together a Plaintiffs’ Leadership Development Committee to help less experienced attorneys work with and learn from more experienced lawyers on the Plaintiffs’ Leadership Committee. The parties have also reached a statute of limitations tolling agreement. This means the SOL will be suspended to allow people with a tighter deadline to get their cases filed. Our legal partners say this could likely to read to the litigation growing by several thousand cases. Judge Calabrese sided with plaintiffs and denied the defendant's request to prioritize discovery into the link between Suboxone and tooth decay. According to the judge, this could "interfere with the search for the truth of general causation." Next in the litigation will hopefully be some bellwether test trial dates.
  • February 2024: The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order to consolidate 15 Suboxone tooth decay claims into an MDL in the Northern District of Ohio.
  • December 2023: The JPLM announced it would take up consolidation of Suboxone lawsuits into MDL-3092, during it's January 25, 2024 hearing.
  • October 2023: Indivior settled Suboxone monopoly lawsuits drug manufacturers had filed for $385 million. Ketih King filed a Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit on October 2.
  • September 2023: Suboxone lawyers filed another Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit on behalf of David Sorensen. The plaintiff said he used the drug and suffered permanent damage to his teeth.
  • August 2023: Indivior agreed to a $30 million federal antitrust Suboxone settlement in lawsuits health plans had filed.
  • April 2023: The Federal Trade Commission paid the remaining $369,000 out of a $60 million class-action settlement to consumers who joined Suboxone class-action lawsuits starting in 2019 and 2020.
  • January 2022: The Food and Drug Administration added a warning for dental problems to Suboxone’s prescribing information and patient medication guide.

Prior to the latest batch of Suboxone tooth decay lawsuits, Indivior and its former parent company, Reckitt Benckiser, faced criminal and civil charges for deceptive marketing claims. People who allegedly overpaid for Suboxone joined Suboxone class-action lawsuits because of a “deceptive scheme by Reckitt Benckiser Group and Indivior, Inc. to thwart lower-proved generic competition with the branded drug Suboxone.”

FTC settled with Indivior and Reckitt Benckiser for $60 million in 2019 and 2020. The last payments went out to consumers in April 2023 and no more money remains available.

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Did you or a loved one suffer tooth decay or other dental injuries after taking Suboxone?
Get your free case review today.

Why Are Suboxone Lawsuits Being Filed?

Lawyers are filing Suboxone tooth decay lawsuits on behalf of people who experienced serious dental problems after using Suboxone. Injuries in Suboxone lawsuits include tooth decay, cavities and tooth loss. Some plaintiffs have had to undergo extensive dental procedures, and lawsuits claim defendants failed to warn medical providers and consumers.

“While it isn’t entirely clear what about the sublingual delivery method of Suboxone is causing these problems, the film appears to be highly acidic, which is leading to poor dental outcomes,” mass tort and product liability attorney Trent B. Miracle told Consumer Notice.

“The [Suboxone] film appears to be highly acidic, which is leading to poor dental outcomes.”
Trent B. Miracle Mass torts and product liability attorney

Currently, there is no active Suboxone class-action lawsuit, but Indivior and Reckitt Benckiser faced a Suboxone class-action lawsuit in 2019 and 2020 that claimed the company engaged in an antitrust scheme that resulted in consumers overpaying for the drug. The companies reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission for $60 million, and the FTC issued payments to class members.

Suboxone Lawsuits Claim Deceptive Marketing

Before consumers started filing Suboxone tooth decay lawsuits, Indivior and Reckitt Benckiser faced Suboxone lawsuits for deceptive marketing tactics that went as far back as 2012. Allegedly, Indivior engaged in marketing schemes to convince health plans and doctors that Suboxone was safer and less addictive than similar products.

In addition, the company admitted that it sent MassHealth false data to convince the state that Suboxone Film had the lowest rate of accidental pediatric exposure of all buprenorphine drugs in Massachusetts when this wasn’t true. In July 2019, the company plead guilty to the felony charge and paid $600 million to resolve criminal and civil liability.

Reckitt Benckiser also faced similar charges and agreed to a $1.4 billion resolution with the U.S. Department of Justice. Then, New York and five other states reached a $700 million settlement deal for improper marketing in October 2019.

Who Qualifies to File a Suboxone Lawsuit?

Consumers who used prescription Suboxone film and suffered from serious Suboxone side effects, such as cavities and tooth fractures, may qualify to file a Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit. People who notice serious dental problems after using Suboxone for at least six months should contact a lawyer, according to Miracle.

Injuries in Lawsuits
  • Cavities
  • Tooth loss
  • Tooth fractures
  • Tooth decay
  • Tongue injuries
  • Gum injuries

If you have a history of Suboxone street use, you may qualify if you had a prescription for at least six months before suffering dental problems. People with Suboxone tooth decay or dental problems must have been seeing a dentist for routine dental care, such as cleanings, before they developed Suboxone problems.

Only a Suboxone lawyer will be able to tell you for sure if you qualify. Contact a Suboxone lawyer for a free case review as soon as possible because there are deadlines to file a claim that vary in each state.

How Can I File a Suboxone Lawsuit?

You can file a Suboxone lawsuit with the help of a licensed Suboxone lawyer. Your lawyer will walk you through the entire litigation process. After filing your Suboxone lawsuit, a lawyer can help gather evidence of tooth decay or other injuries, negotiate a settlement on your behalf or prepare your case for jury trial.

Mass tort and product liability lawyer Trent Miracle advises people to carefully research who they hire to represent them. Look for a lawyer with experience and a proven track record of settlements and jury verdicts in lawsuits against drug companies.

“In complex cases such as this, it is especially important to retain counsel with resources and years of experience litigating against multinational pharmaceutical companies,” Miracle added.

Please seek the advice of a qualified professional before making decisions about your health or finances.
Last Modified: October 17, 2024

10 Cited Research Articles

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  1. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. (2024, October 8). Minutes and Order. Retrieved from https://ecf.ohnd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_multidocs.pl?caseid=303559&arr_de_seq_nums=1351&magic_num=&pdf_header=&hdr=&psf_report=&pdf_toggle_possible=&exclude_attachments=&zipit=0&caseid=303559&zipit=0&magic_num=&arr_de_seq_nums=1351&got_warning=&create_roa=&create_appendix=&bates_format=&sort1=&date_range_type=&dkt=&got_receipt=1
  2. Shabong, Y. & Pierson, B. (2023, October 24). Indivior to pay $385 million to end final Suboxone monopoly lawsuits. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/legal/indivior-pay-385-mln-end-suboxone-monopoly-lawsuits-2023-10-23/
  3. United States District Court for The Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division. (2023, September 25). Sorensen v. Indivior, Inc. et al., Complaint with Jury Demand. Retrieved from https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-09-25-Complaint.pdf
  4. Schulte, K. (2023, August 21). Chesterfield pharma company to pay $30M in Suboxone settlement. Retrieved from https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/chesterfield-pharma-company-to-pay-30m-in-suboxone-settlement/
  5. Federal Trade Commission. (2023, April). Suboxone Settlement. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/suboxone-settlement
  6. Carome, M. (2022, June 1). FDA Warns That Buprenorphine Medications Dissolved in Mouth Increase Risk of Dental Problems. Retrieved from https://www.citizen.org/article/fda-warns-that-buprenorphine-medications-dissolved-in-mouth-increase-risk-of-dental-problems/
  7. FDA. (2022, January 21). FDA warns about dental problems with buprenorphine medicines dissolved in the mouth to treat opioid use disorder and pain. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-warns-about-dental-problems-buprenorphine-medicines-dissolved-mouth-treat-opioid-use-disorder
  8. FTC. (2021, May 10). FTC Returns Nearly $60 Million to Those Suffering from Opioid Addiction Who Were Allegedly Overcharged in Suboxone Film Scheme. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/05/ftc-returns-nearly-60-million-those-suffering-opioid-addiction-who-were-allegedly-overcharged
  9. DOJ. (2020, July 24). Indivior Solutions Pleads Guilty To Felony Charge And Indivior Entities Agree To Pay $600 Million To Resolve Criminal And Civil Investigations As Part Of DOJ’s Largest Opioid Resolution. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/indivior-solutions-pleads-guilty-felony-charge-and-indivior-entities-agree-pay-600-million
  10. Reuters. (2019, October 23). New York, states reach $700 mln settlement with Reckitt over opioid probes. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/reckitt-benc-grp-probe-indivior/new-york-states-reach-700-mln-settlement-with-reckitt-over-opioid-probes-idUSL3N27849P