SAN FRANSICO (AFP) - Four drugmakers, including Johnson & Johnson (J&J), went on trial Monday (April 19) over claims they helped fuel the deadly opioid epidemic in the United States through deceptive marketing that downplayed the risks of addiction.

J&J, Teva, Endo and Allergan are accused of trivialising the dangers of long-term use of opioid painkillers to boost sales in a lawsuit filed by several California counties and the city of Oakland.