Life Sciences

  • October 21, 2024

    Catalent CEO Defends Novo Deal, Will Stay On After Buyout

    Catalent CEO Alessandro Maselli told the medical company's customers Monday that Catalent will continue to support them following its planned $16.5 billion sale to Novo Holdings, seeking to assure clientele after Sen. Elizabeth Warren and advocacy groups pressured the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize and potentially block the deal.

  • October 18, 2024

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • October 18, 2024

    What Attorneys Expect From Harris And Trump On Patents

    Patents have scarcely been mentioned during the presidential campaign, but attorneys say that positions taken by the candidates suggest Donald Trump would favor stronger patent rights, while Kamala Harris would focus on steps to make drugs and other patented inventions more widely available.

  • October 18, 2024

    Chancery Keeps Better Therapeutics SPAC Suit Alive

    A Delaware vice chancellor on Friday refused to dismiss a suit challenging the take-public merger of now-defunct Better Therapeutics, saying the investors have sufficiently pleaded direct breach of fiduciary duty claims against the medical technology business' special purpose acquisition company partner and its directors.

  • October 18, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Won't Question Reviving Vascepa Skinny Label Row

    The Federal Circuit has said the full appellate court will not rethink a panel's decision reinstating Vascepa maker Amarin Pharma Inc.'s skinny label patent case against rival U.K. drugmaker Hikma.

  • October 18, 2024

    Cigna Says Florida Labs Owe $16M After 'Cheating' For Benefits

    Three Florida substance abuse laboratories wrongly filed $16 million in claims for medically unnecessary tests and doubled their scheme by failing to seek patient payments, Cigna attorneys told a federal jury on Friday.  The labs, however, accused the insurer of breaching policy agreements by failing to pay for services rendered.

  • October 18, 2024

    Teva Signs Deal With Indirect Buyers In Effexor Antitrust Suit

    A class of consumers and third-party payers have reached a deal with Teva Pharmaceuticals to resolve antitrust litigation over a purported scheme to delay generic competition for the antidepressant drug Effexor XR, according to a court filing.

  • October 18, 2024

    Biotech Co. Wins Injunction Against Ex-Worker In Secrets Suit

    Biotech startup Trilobio Inc. won a temporary restraining order against a former employee after a California federal judge concluded the company has a strong likelihood of success on its claims that the worker stole trade secrets to start his own business after being fired for poor performance.

  • October 18, 2024

    Taxation With Representation: Baker, Simpson, Ropes

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Lundbeck inks a $2.6 billion cash deal for Longboard, Silver Lake agrees to buy Zuora for $1.7 billion, and PPG and American Industrial Partners reach a $550 million deal.

  • October 18, 2024

    Philly Atty Suspended After Guilty Plea In Pill Mill Scheme

    A Philadelphia attorney who pled guilty to filling fraudulent opioid prescriptions in his side job as a part-time pharmacist had his law license suspended for a year and a day, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania announced.

  • October 18, 2024

    FTC Faces More Pressure To Block $16.5B Novo-Catalent Deal

    A dozen advocacy groups are pushing the Federal Trade Commission to block Novo Holdings' planned $16.5 billion purchase of Catalent, arguing that the deal would stifle competition for certain obesity and gene therapy drugs — and that no remedy can fix that.

  • October 18, 2024

    Pfizer Escapes 401(k) Fee Suit Due To Poor Comparisons

    A Michigan federal judge tossed a former employee's proposed class action claiming Pfizer Inc. let its $21 billion retirement plan be overcharged for recordkeeping fees, crediting the pharmaceutical giant's arguments that the case was only supported with "apples-to-oranges" comparisons.

  • October 17, 2024

    E-Cig Regs Are Congress' Job, Not FDA's, GOP Pols Tell Justices

    Republican lawmakers told the U.S. Supreme Court that Congress, not the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, should regulate flavored e-cigarettes, and that the regulator overstepped its authority by banning the sale of the vape products.

  • October 17, 2024

    'More Honesty' Needed In Philips IP Row, Judge Says

    A Texas federal judge told the owner of a company accused of pilfering around $12 million worth of Philips North America LLC's trade secrets that things might have gone better if he had "been more honest," pointing out that he had given contradictory testimony during a hearing Thursday.

  • October 17, 2024

    Justices Urged To Fix 'Novel Misreading' Of IP Safe Harbor

    Edwards Lifesciences is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rein in what's covered under a drug-development safe harbor to avoid patent infringement, saying the Federal Circuit wrongfully expanded it in a "novel misreading" of the law.

  • October 17, 2024

    Northwestern Hits Moderna With Patent Suit Over COVID Vax

    Northwestern University has launched a patent infringement lawsuit in Delaware federal court accusing Moderna of wrongly taking research that the school did when the company was making its COVID-19 vaccine.

  • October 17, 2024

    Amgen Faces Derivative Suit In Del. Over Tax Disclosures

    An Amgen Inc. stockholder has sued the company in Delaware's Court of Chancery seeking derivative recoveries for the multinational biopharmaceutical company from its directors and officers based on allegedly false and misleading statements regarding $10.7 billion in federal tax bills and penalties.

  • October 17, 2024

    Oregon Appeals Court Says E-Cig Rules Violate Free Speech

    Oregon's intermediate appellate court ruled Wednesday that a state law governing how e-cigarettes and cannabis vapes can be packaged violated guarantees of free speech enshrined in the state's constitution.

  • October 17, 2024

    $20B Verizon-Frontier Deal Faces Scrutiny, And Other Rumors

    A growing list of Frontier Communications' largest shareholders are concerned about its planned $20 billion takeover by Verizon Communications, and a group of former professional athletes are in talks to buy a stake in the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable rumors from the past week.

  • October 17, 2024

    Ex-Genzyme Exec Says Anxiety Disclosure Led To Firing

    A former marketing director for Sanofi subsidiary Genzyme says he was fired on a pretext after disclosing that he suffers from anxiety, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Massachusetts state court.

  • October 17, 2024

    Moderna Wants Fees For 'Frivolous' COVID-19 Vax Suit

    Moderna is asking a Delaware federal judge to award it about $2.8 million in legal costs for its defense of claims in a patent suit brought by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals over its coronavirus vaccine, arguing the Boston-based company pursued "frivolous" claims that wasted court resources.

  • October 16, 2024

    Philips Says $12M Sanction Needed For Evidence Destruction

    A spoliation sanctions hearing for around $12 million in royalty damages turned terse when the owner of a medical device equipment sale and servicing company seemingly hedged his statements, with a Texas federal judge saying, "Oh my gosh, just answer the question," during the Wednesday hearing.

  • October 16, 2024

    Apple Heart Rate Monitor Patent Survives PTAB

    An administrative patent board has decided not to invalidate an Apple patent that the tech giant once asserted in its ongoing fight with a company in the smartwatch space.

  • October 16, 2024

    Direct Buyers Get Final OK For $44M Drug Price-Fixing Deal

    A Pennsylvania federal court has granted final approval to $44.4 million in settlements between drugmakers Apotex, Breckenridge and Heritage and direct purchasers in a multidistrict litigation over alleged price-fixing in the generic-drug industry.

  • October 16, 2024

    Pharma Co. Contractor Settles SEC Insider Trading Claim

    An information technology consultant for a Massachusetts biopharmaceutical company will pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over $28,000 to resolve claims he immediately dumped shares of his client when he got wind of its yet-to-be announced plans for major layoffs.

Expert Analysis

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • How Cos. Should Handle Research Org.'s Carcinogen Evals

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    In light of the International Agency of Research for Cancer's list of substances slated for review over the next five years, manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and consumer products should monitor for potentially unbalanced determinations, which could stimulate litigation regarding potential exposure from products, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Analyzing FDA Draft Guidance On Clinical Trial Diversity

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    In light of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's draft guidance on clinical trial diversity action plans, there are several important considerations for sponsors and clinical researchers to keep in mind to prevent delay in a drug or device application, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What's New In The AI Healthcare Regulatory Space

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    Attorneys at Hogan Lovells review the current legal and regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, touching on policies around safety, transparency, nondiscrimination and reimbursement, and what to expect in the future.

  • Del. Dispatch: 27.6% Stockholder Not A Controller

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Sciannella v. AstraZeneca — which found that the pharma giant, a 26.7% stockholder of Viela Bio Inc., was not a controller of Viela, despite having management control — shows that overall context matters when challenging transactions on breach of fiduciary duty grounds, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • 3 Policyholder Tips After Calif. Ruling Denying D&O Coverage

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    A California decision from June, Practice Fusion v. Freedom Specialty Insurance, denying a company's claim seeking reimbursement under a directors and officers insurance policy for its settlement with the Justice Department, highlights the importance of coordinating coverage for all operational risks and the danger of broad exclusionary policy language, says Geoffrey Fehling at Hunton.

  • 1 Year At The UPC: Implications For Transatlantic Disputes

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    In its first year, the Unified Patent Court has issued important decisions on procedures like provisional measures, but complexities remain when it comes to coordinating proceedings across jurisdictions like the U.S. due to differences in timelines and discovery practices, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    High Court Made Profound Mistake In Tossing Purdue Deal

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to throw out Purdue Pharma's Chapter 11 plan jeopardizes a multistate agreement that would provide approximately $7 billion in much-needed relief to help fight the opioid epidemic, with states now likely doomed to spend years chasing individual defendants across the globe, says Swain Wood at Morningstar.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • Big Business May Come To Rue The Post-Administrative State

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    Many have framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning Chevron deference and extending the window to challenge regulations as big wins for big business, but sand in the gears of agency rulemaking may be a double-edged sword, creating prolonged uncertainty that impedes businesses’ ability to plan for the future, says Todd Baker at Columbia University.

  • Opinion

    Proposed Terminal Disclaimers Rule Harms Colleges, Startups

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    Universities and startups are ill-suited to follow the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recently proposed rule on terminal disclaimers due to their necessity of filing patent applications early prior to contacting outside entities for funds and resources, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Critical Questions Remain After High Court's Abortion Rulings

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in two major abortion-related cases this term largely preserve the status quo for now, but leave federal preemption, the Comstock Act and in vitro fertilization in limbo, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • A Look At Acquisition Trends For Radiopharmaceuticals

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    As radiopharmaceutical drugs are increasingly used for the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases, interest from Big Pharma entities is following suit, despite some questions around the drugs' capacity to expand beyond their limited niche, says Adrian Toutoungi at Taylor Wessing.

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