Digital Health & Technology

  • October 21, 2024

    Apple Tells Del. Jury It Wants Smartwatch Infringement Stop

    An Apple attorney told a federal jury in Delaware on Monday that the company is willing to accept only a token damage award from Masimo Corp. for the health tech company's infringement of Apple's smartwatch, but wants the alleged copying barred.

  • October 21, 2024

    Google, Meta Want Out Of GoodRx Health Data Sharing Suit

    Google, Meta Platforms and Criteo have asked a California federal court to cut them loose from litigation alleging that GoodRx improperly shared patients' protected health information with the tech companies, saying the claims are "fundamentally flawed."

  • October 21, 2024

    McGuireWoods Adds Healthcare Atty From Cooley In NY

    McGuireWoods LLP has added a digital health expert from Cooley LLP, aiming to boost its offerings for clients in the space combining healthcare services with information and communications technology, the firm announced Monday.

  • 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 16, 2024

    BetterHelp Can't Ax Suit Over Sharing Data With Advertisers

    A California federal judge has trimmed but refused to completely toss a consolidated putative class action accusing online counseling platform BetterHelp Inc. of unlawfully disclosing consumers' confidential information to third parties for advertising purposes, finding that newly added details boosted several of the plaintiffs' claims. 

  • October 15, 2024

    LabCorp Gets Google Health Info Suit Sent To Arbitration

    Laboratory Corporation of America succeeded in its bid to have a patient privacy lawsuit handled by arbitration, after a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled that users of the company's website who sued it for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Google agreed to arbitration by using the patient portal.

  • October 15, 2024

    Law Firms Diverge As Anti-ESG Pushback Continues

    A continuing onslaught of legislation and litigation opposing corporate environmental, social and governance actions has created a fork in the road for law firms, with some choosing to scale back efforts and others pushing ahead with their internal ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

  • October 15, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Social Impact Leaders

    Check out our Social Impact Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their engagement with social responsibility and commitment to pro bono service.

  • October 09, 2024

    Judge OKs $9M Data Hack Deal, Asks How Public Views Fees

    A Washington federal judge on Wednesday approved an $8.8 million settlement that ended a consolidated data breach class action against a Hearst Health unit, but not before pondering how the public might perceive the deal, in which one-third of the money is going toward legal costs.

  • October 09, 2024

    Philips Preserves Lanham Act Counterclaim In CPAP Cleaner MDL

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has trimmed some counterclaims by Koninklijke Philips NV and its American affiliates against SoClean Inc., whose cleaning products they say are responsible for damage to Philips' CPAP machines.

  • October 08, 2024

    Apple Loses Bid For Jury Trial In Masimo Trade Secrets Fight

    A California federal judge on Monday granted Masimo's request for a bench trial to address its trade secrets claims against Apple, noting that bench trials are almost always granted in situations where the plaintiff is seeking only equitable relief, and Apple hasn't convinced the court to deviate from that norm.

  • October 07, 2024

    Mednax Gets Final OK For $6M Data Breach Settlement

    A Florida federal judge on Friday gave the green light to Mednax's $6 million settlement putting to rest a proposed class action accusing the medical provider of failing to adequately protect patients' personal information from a 2020 phishing attack, calling the deal "fair, reasonable and adequate."

  • October 03, 2024

    Dental Laser Co. Can Tap $5M DIP For Swift Ch. 11 Sale Plans

    Biolase Inc., which makes laser systems used by dentists, received a Delaware bankruptcy judge's approval Thursday to access $1.4 million of an up to $5 million debtor-in-possession package as it plans for a quick sale in Chapter 11.

  • October 02, 2024

    Colo. Judge Sees No Injuries In Health Data Breach Class Suit

    A Colorado federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action alleging a software company waited nearly three months to tell data breach victims about hackers accessing personal and medical information for more than 250,000 people, concluding the plaintiffs' allegations weren't enough to give them standing.

  • October 02, 2024

    Dental Laser Maker Biolase Hits Ch. 11 With $33M In Debt

    Biolase, a manufacturer of lasers used in dental procedures, is seeking bankruptcy protection in Delaware, and has disclosed roughly $33 million in debt and a $14 million stalking horse offer for its assets, citing financial challenges that it said stemmed from slow market adoption of new technology and economic headwinds.

  • October 02, 2024

    ExecuPharm Agrees To Pay Ransomware Victims $10K Each

    U.S. pharmaceutical giant ExecuPharm will pay victims of a data breach up to $10,000 in reimbursements, compensation for lost time, three years of credit monitoring, and $675,000 in attorney fees after a Pennsylvania federal judge gave his final approval to a class action settlement.

  • October 01, 2024

    Jefferson Health Can't Ditch Suit Over Meta Data Sharing

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Jefferson Health of unlawfully sharing patients' confidential health information with Meta Platforms Inc., finding that the plaintiffs had cured prior deficiencies to adequately support their wiretap and privacy claims.

  • October 01, 2024

    NC Hospital Hit With More Class Claims Over Data Breach

    Columbus Regional Healthcare System's legal woes have worsened with more privacy breach claims filed against it by patients whose personal information was exposed by a May 2023 cyberattack on the healthcare provider's network.

  • September 27, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Stem Cell Treatment Not Exempt From FDA Rule

    Two California clinics' experimental stem cell treatments are "drugs" subject to Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act regulations, the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday, reviving the federal government's bid to stop the clinic from marketing the products as cures for certain diseases without U.S. Food and Drug Administration review.

  • September 26, 2024

    HHS Flags Ransomware Rise In New Deal With Wash. Provider

    A Washington state-based healthcare provider has agreed to pay $250,000 and boost its data security to resolve the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's enforcement action over a 2017 ransomware attack, amid what the agency said has been a steep rise in reports of such cyberattacks over the past six years. 

  • September 26, 2024

    Senate Bill Calls For Stronger Healthcare Cyber Standards

    Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday aiming to better protect patient health information and avoid cyberattacks by strengthening cybersecurity standards, months after a highly publicized data breach earlier this year of a UnitedHealth unit that lacked basic security measures like two-factor authentication.

  • September 25, 2024

    UpHealth Wins Most Of $115M Award In Glocal Merger Dispute

    Bankrupt digital health services company UpHealth can enforce a large part of a $115 million arbitral award against the Indian healthcare services platform Glocal in their feud over an ill-fated merger, an Illinois federal judge has ruled.

  • September 25, 2024

    Buffalo-Based Cyber Law Pro Joins Pierson Ferdinand

    Fast-growing virtual law firm Pierson Ferdinand LLP announced that an experienced cybersecurity attorney with a focus on the healthcare industry joined as a partner based in Buffalo, New York.

  • September 24, 2024

    Google Can't Ditch Privacy Suit Over Period App Data Sharing

    A California federal judge has refused to release Google from a proposed class action alleging the company used a data analytics tool to wrongfully retrieve data from menstruation tracking app Flo, rejecting the tech giant's arguments that the plaintiffs lacked standing and had consented to the disclosures. 

  • September 24, 2024

    Philips Must Face Investor Suit Over FDA Compliance Issues

    Health technology company Koninklijke Philips and its former CEO cannot escape a suit accusing them of misleading investors about the safety and compliance of its subsidiary's sleep and respiratory care products, which were recalled in 2021, but its chief financial officer and a former CEO of a Philips subsidiary were allowed to exit the case for good.

Expert Analysis

  • Defending AI, Machine Learning Patents In Life Sciences

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    Ten years after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Alice v. CLS Bank, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology remain at risk for Alice challenges, but reviewing recent cases can help life sciences companies avoid common pitfalls and successfully defend their patents, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Takeaways From Texas AG's Novel AI Health Settlement

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    The Texas attorney general's recent action against a health tech company marks another step in rapidly proliferating enforcement against artificial intelligence and privacy issues across multiple states, and highlights important risk mitigation considerations for health companies that implement AI systems, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Proposed Legislation May Crack Down On Online Drug Ads

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    A bill recently proposed in Congress could serve as a sea change in how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates drug-related speech, with significant trickle-down effects on various corners of not only the drug industry but also on consumers and providers themselves, say Dominick DiSabatino and Arushi Pandya at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Navigating Restrictions Following Biotech Bill House Passage

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    Ahead of the BIOSECURE Act’s potential enactment, companies that obtain equipment from certain Chinese biotechnology companies should consider whether the act would restrict their ability to enter into contracts with the U.S. government and what steps they might take in response, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • What's In Colorado's 1st-Of-Its-Kind Neural Privacy Law

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    Colorado recently became the first U.S. state to directly regulate neurotechnology with new legislation amending the Colorado Privacy Act to specifically protect biological and neural data, offering an example of how lawmakers can tackle the perceived regulation gaps in this area, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools

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    A comparison of traditional algorithmic pricing models and those powered by generative artificial intelligence can help regulators and practitioners weigh the pros and cons of relying on large language models to price products or services, say Maxime Cohen at McGill University, and Tim Spittle and Jimmy Royer at Analysis Group.

  • What FCA Cases May Look Like In The Age Of Generative AI

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    Generative artificial intelligence raises unique considerations both in the context of potentially leading to False Claims Act cases and in the discovery and litigation phases of these lawsuits, says attorney Rachel Rose.

  • The Regulatory Headwinds Facing Lab-Developed Tests

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    Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's final rule regarding regulation of laboratory-developed tests outlines a four-year plan for ending enforcement discretion, and though this rule is currently being challenged in courts, manufacturers should heed compliance opportunities immediately as enforcement actions are already on the horizon, say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis.

  • How Cos. With Chinese Suppliers Should Prep For Biotech Bill

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    A proposed bill to prohibit government-affiliated life sciences companies from contracting with Chinese biotech companies of concern may necessitate switching to other sources for research and supplies, meaning they should begin evaluating supply chains now due to the long lead times of drug development, say John O'Loughlin and Christina Carone at Weil Gotshal.

  • The Road Ahead For Regulation Of Digital Twins In Healthcare

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    Digital replicas of cells, organs and people — known as digital twins — can facilitate clinical trials for new drugs by reducing the number of patients required, but data limitations can create logistical hurdles and regulatory efforts addressing digital twins are still in early stages, say consultants at Keystone Strategy.

  • After Chevron: Slowing Down AI In Medical Research

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision overturning the Chevron doctrine may inhibit agencies' regulatory efforts, potentially slowing down the approval and implementation of artificial intelligence-driven methodologies in medical research, as well as regulators' responses to public health emergencies, say Ragini Acharya and Matthew Deutsch at Husch Blackwell.

  • 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.

  • 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.