John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse.
Credit: Getty Images
A federal judge is expected to rule today on whether or not Massachusetts can continue its ban of a painkiller whose maker has sued the state.
A hearing is scheduled for this morning at federal court in South Boston.
The maker of Zohydro argued against the banning of the drug since Gov. Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency last month citing an “epidemic of opiate abuse.”
During an initial hearing last week, Judge Rya Zobel indicated that she would allow the injunction and said that she thought Patrick was “out of line” regarding the ban. She continued the hearing until today to give the state more time to form its argument.
Zogenix, the California-based drug maker, filed a motion in federal court last week that sought to stop the state’s ban on its drug.
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