PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Lawsuits filed by three area counties against prescription drug manufacturers and distributors are proceeding in federal court — but they will be proceeding in Cleveland, Ohio.

Pike, Floyd and Knott counties are suing the companies for using aggressive marketing tactics to boost sales of opioid painkillers, while allegedly misrepresenting the dangers of the drugs and warning signs that they were being misused.

The cases will be consolidated with similar lawsuits out of Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and Wisconsin in order to handle pretrial proceedings conveniently and expediently.

Most of the plaintiffs objected to the consolidation, as well as continued proceedings in federal court rather than local courts. Those objections were overruled.