Johnson & Johnson Leads With Fentanyl In First Testimony

Johnson & Johnson now has the chance to present its case after four weeks in the state's opioid trial.               

The company's lawyers started off by defending it's popular opioid products, Duragesic, a fentanyl patch.             

Dr. Bruce Moskovitz worked for Johnson & Johnson for more than 30 years. He worked for the company's "pain group" that researched and developed J&J's opioid products and provided extensive data to the FDA.              

Moskovitz talked at length about Duragesic.

Related Story - Opioid Trial: Oklahoma Satisfied With Where They're Leaving Their Case

The state showed autopsy reports where people had overdosed by wearing more than one Duragesic patch at a time.              

Moskovitz said people can die if they don't use the patch as directed, but pointed to one study he said proves that Duragesic isn't strongly associated with criminal activity or drug abuse.

"The transdermal formulation of fentanyl, that is Duragesic, was not widely sought by drug abusers, nor widely diverted nor sold by drug traffickers in the U.S. in the 10 years since its introduction," Moskovitz said.

Johnson & Johnson released the following statement after the June 27 testimony:

"In the first few hours of testimony, Janssen is already setting the record straight, correcting the misstatements and distortions presented by the State. Facts matter, and the facts presented today show that Janssen did everything a responsible manufacturer and seller of opioid pain medications should do, providing clear information on the benefits and risks of its products," said John Sparks, Oklahoma counsel for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson.