The city of New Britain filed a lawsuit Thursday morning against some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies, claiming they've engaged in a deceptive marketing campaign to mislead the public about the dangers of prescription opioids.

The lawsuit, filed in New Britain Superior Court by attorneys at Scott + Scott, comes on the heels of opioid lawsuits filed by Waterbury and New Haven. Similar lawsuits have been filed by municipalities across the nation.

All three Connecticut lawsuits claim drugmakers published misleading articles in medical journals that encouraged the use of opioids to treat chronic pain. In addition, the suits claim the manufacturers continue to sponsor medical courses that persuade doctors that opioids don't pose a serious threat of addiction.

The latest suit also notes that heroin addiction is often linked to opioid abuse, highlighting the long-term costs the industry has placed on the shoulders of Connecticut communities such as New Britain.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for New Britain's costs incurred by the opioid crisis, such as burdens placed on first responders and social services. It was not immediately clear how much those costs are.

The lawsuit claims the city spent “enormous funds in providing for rehabilitative services for its residents who have been severely damaged by the addiction.”

New Britain officials said the opioid epidemic has had a drastic effect on the Hardware City. New Britain ranks fifth in the state, with 35 deaths in 2016, for opioid-related deaths, according to the State's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The office said 917 people died statewide from drug overdoses in 2016, a 25 percent jump from 2015. That number includes all drugs, not just opioids.

“The abuse of opiates is the serial killer of our time,” said New Britain Police Chief James Wardwell in a press release. “I have served this city for 24 years and have never seen so much death caused by any other single source. We have dedicated more resources than ever before to fight against this devastating tide, and will continue to do all we can with our community partners to protect life.”

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart said in a press release “these drugs have been abused beyond their original intended use and their misuse has turned into an epidemic affecting all walks of life.” The mayor noted that, according to its agreement with Scott + Scott, the firm will be entitled to attorney fees only if it wins or settles the litigation.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered all federal lawsuits brought by cities, counties and states to be transferred to a judge in Ohio.

The New Britain lawsuit targets Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Insys Therapeutics, McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health.

John Puskar, Purdue Pharma public affairs director, issued the Connecticut Law Tribune the same statement he did last month when it was sued by New Haven.

“We are deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and we are dedicated to being part of the solution,” the statement reads. “As a company growing in science, we must balance patient access to FDA-approved medicines, while working collaboratively to solve this public health challenge. Although our products account for approximately 2 percent of the total opioid prescriptions, as a company, we've distributed the Center for Disease Control Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, developed the first FDA-approved opioid medication with abuse-deterrent properties and partner with law enforcement to ensure access to naloxone. We vigorously deny these allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present our defense.”

Within the past year alone, at least 25 states, cities and counties have filed civil cases against manufacturers, distributors and large drugstore chains that make up the $13 billion-a-year opioid industry. The majority of the lawsuits filed against the industry are still pending.

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