The federal judge overseeing about 200 lawsuits against opioid makers would rather curb the opioid epidemic than referee the litigation...Opioid litigation...reached a flood last year when about 250 cities, counties and states sued opioid makers, wholesalers, distributors and marketers.  The lawsuits accuse the companies of misleading health care professionals and the public by marketing opioids as rarely addictive and a safe substitute for non-addictive pain medications, such as ibuprofen.  The companies deny the claims and say litigation should be halted until the Food and Drug Administration-ordered studies on the long-term risks and benefits of opioids are completed.  Experts say the sheer number of opioid lawsuits could lead some companies to settle...Some hospitals are suing, too...Every state attorney general has either filed a lawsuit against opioid makers or is involved in investigating whether these drugmakers misled health care providers about the addictiveness to opioids.