Life Sciences

  • April 29, 2024

    Justices To Weigh RICO Injury Scope In CBD Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a case brought by a trio of CBD companies asking the justices to establish whether a plaintiff can bring a personal injury claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

  • April 29, 2024

    Philips Inks $1.1B Deal To Resolve CPAP Injury Claims

    The plaintiffs' attorneys leading a multidistrict litigation against Koninklijke Philips NV and some of its American subsidiaries announced Monday that they had reached a $1.1 billion settlement agreement for plaintiffs claiming that degraded foam in their breathing machines caused them personal injuries or will require long-term medical monitoring.

  • April 26, 2024

    Law360 Reveals Titans Of The Plaintiffs Bar

    In the past year, plaintiffs have won settlements and judgments for millions and billions of dollars from companies such as Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Facebook and Fox News, with many high-profile cases finally wrapping up after years of fighting. Such cases — involving over-the-top compensation packages, chemical contamination, gender discrimination and data mining — were led by attorneys whose accomplishments earned them recognition as Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar for 2024.

  • April 26, 2024

    Ex-McKinsey Partner Says Firm Made Him Opioids 'Scapegoat'

    A former McKinsey & Co. partner lobbed defamation claims at the consulting firm, claiming Friday that it lied to the government and the public about his purported role in deleting evidence amid government investigations into the firm's work with opioid manufacturers, an alleged scheme designed to make him the "scapegoat."

  • April 26, 2024

    New FDA Official Talks Food Safety After Formula Outbreak

    James "Jim" Jones, the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner for human food, was named to the role last year in the wake of an infant formula contamination outbreak. He sat down this week with Law360 to discuss what he's learned from his first months in the position.

  • April 26, 2024

    Ex-USPTO Solicitor Heads To Carmichael IP

    A veteran intellectual property attorney who once served as the chief legal officer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has made the move to Carmichael IP PLLC.

  • April 26, 2024

    Latham, Akin Beat NJ Suit Over Alleged IP Theft Scheme

    A New Jersey federal court on Friday tossed a lawsuit claiming attorneys from Latham & Watkins LLP and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP manipulated patent litigation to steal a former Cornell University graduate student's DNA sequencing intellectual property, calling that graduate student's claims "conspiracy theories."

  • April 26, 2024

    Ga. Residents Want In On $300M Monkey Farm Fight

    Four Georgia residents have asked a federal judge to let them intervene in a dispute over the construction of a sprawling primate-rearing farm in Bainbridge, alleging the local development authority that approved a $300 million bond deal for the project is colluding with the farm's backers to advance the project.

  • April 25, 2024

    QuidelOrtho Execs Lied About COVID Test Revenue, Suit Says

    A QuidelOrtho Corp. investor on Thursday filed a derivative shareholder suit in New York federal court against board members and executives of the diagnostic healthcare company, alleging they made misleading statements about the company's ability to maintain a high margin revenue after sales of its COVID-19 detection tests plunged.

  • April 25, 2024

    Astellas Can't Block Generic Myrbetriq Amid Patent Suit

    A Delaware federal judge has shot down Astellas Pharma's request to issue an injunction blocking rival pharmaceutical companies from selling generic copies of the overactive bladder medication Myrbetriq as they hash out a patent infringement suit, agreeing with a magistrate judge that Astellas isn't likely to win its case.

  • April 25, 2024

    CureVac, Acuitas Reach Deal In COVID Vax Patent Dispute

    CureVac SE told a Virginia federal judge Thursday that it has reached a settlement to resolve Acuitas Therapeutics Inc.'s lawsuit inventorship credit on patents related to lipid nanoparticle technology used to develop the blockbuster Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

  • April 25, 2024

    GSK Hits Pfizer And BioNTech With COVID Vaccine Patent Suit

    GlaxoSmithKline alleged in a suit filed Thursday in Delaware federal court that the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and BioNTech infringe five of its patents on mRNA technology, the latest in a series of lawsuits over the vaccines that have generated tens of billions of dollars in revenue.

  • April 25, 2024

    Stryker Says Sanctions Bid Goes 'Galaxies Beyond' Law

    Medical device maker Stryker urged a Colorado federal judge to reject an ex-distributor's latest request for sanctions, arguing in a brief that the distributor's $2.2 million bid goes "galaxies beyond" what it asked for at trial and what the Tenth Circuit said the court could entertain.

  • April 25, 2024

    3rd Circ. Lets Mallinckrodt Off Sanofi's Royalty Hook

    A Third Circuit panel said Thursday that Mallinckrodt PLC's Chapter 11 bankruptcy could sever its obligation to pay Sanofi-Aventis US LLC royalties on sales of an autoimmune disease drug, finding that Sanofi's contract to sell Mallinckrodt the rights to the drug created a claim ripe to be extinguished.

  • April 25, 2024

    Becton BIPA Suit Gets Cut Short Under Health Exception

    An Illinois federal judge permanently tossed a Chicago health worker's biometric privacy claims targeting Becton Dickinson and Co.'s drug dispensing cabinets, saying his arguments for putting distance between his case and foreclosing precedent "border on the frivolous."

  • April 25, 2024

    Philips Gets $506M Economic Loss Deal OK'd In CPAP MDL

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday gave final approval to a $506.3 million settlement to end economic loss claims in multidistrict litigation over Philips' recalled CPAP breathing machines, including $94.4 million for the plaintiffs' attorneys.

  • April 25, 2024

    NC Hospital Leader Condemns FTC's Merger Block Bid

    The chief of staff for a North Carolina hospital in the midst of a merger battle ripped the care facility's current owners Thursday in a show of support for new ownership, pleading for federal antitrust regulators to get out of the way lest they usher in "a year long death marked by suffering" for the hospital.

  • April 25, 2024

    Ex-Burns & Levinson Life Sciences Chair Joins Polsinelli

    Polsinelli PC announced that the former life sciences co-chair at New England firm Burns & Levinson LLP has joined its Boston office as a shareholder. 

  • April 25, 2024

    Conn. Judge In Drug Price-Fixing Suit Reveals Day Pitney Ties

    U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea of the District of Connecticut said Thursday he will not recuse himself from overseeing state enforcers' price-fixing claims against Sandoz Inc. and other drug companies despite Sandoz's attorneys being from Day Pitney LLP, where he was once a partner.

  • April 25, 2024

    Class Counsel Seeks $31M From $93M Lipitor Settlement

    Attorneys representing a class of buyers in antitrust litigation against Pfizer over the cholesterol medication Lipitor have asked a New Jersey federal judge to approve their request for $31 million in fees after the two sides agreed to a $93 million settlement in February.

  • April 25, 2024

    Wachtell Steers Perrigo In €275M Unit Sale To Pharma Biz

    Healthcare company Perrigo said Thursday that it has agreed to sell its pharmaceutical division for rare diseases to pharmaceutical company Esteve Healthcare SL for €275 million ($295 million) in a deal guided by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Clifford Chance LLP.

  • April 24, 2024

    Motley Rice, Morgan & Morgan Among Ozempic MDL Leaders

    The Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over alleged risks associated with Ozempic and similar drugs has appointed lawyers from Motley Rice LLC, Morgan & Morgan PA and six other firms to leadership roles, according to an order issued Tuesday.

  • April 24, 2024

    DEA's Upcoming Decision On Cannabis Likely To Be Litigated

    The potential loosening of federal restrictions on marijuana is likely to be litigated for years, and the pro-legalization camp would do well to pool resources to build the most persuasive evidentiary record it can, a leading cannabis advocate said Wednesday.

  • April 24, 2024

    UPMC Affiliate Can't Avoid False Claims Suit Over NIH Grant

    A research foundation affiliated with a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospital can't duck a former employee's claims that the foundation mishandled grant money and fired her for raising concerns, though UPMC itself is off the hook, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

  • April 24, 2024

    NGM Biopharma Investor Seeks Stock Appraisal In Del.

    An NGM Biopharmaceuticals Inc. stockholder has sued for court appraisal of his stock in Delaware's Court of Chancery after the company closed on a $1.55 per share cash tender offer with an affiliate of venture fund The Column Group on Feb. 25.

Expert Analysis

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

    Author Photo

    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • A Potential Proactive Tool For Public-Private Joint Ventures

    Author Photo

    In the current environment of heightened antitrust enforcement, the National Cooperative Research and Production Act seems tailor-made for the collaborative work among competitors encouraged by the Biden administration's infrastructure and green energy funding legislation, say Jeetander Dulani and Susan Ebner at Stinson.

  • Patent Prosecution Carries Consequences For Later Litigation

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit's recent Mylan v. Actelon holding, along with three other 2023 decisions, underscores the continued need for patent prosecutors to make note of potential claim construction issues that may arise in subsequent litigation, says Steven Wood at Hunton.

  • 10 Global Antitrust Trends To Anticipate In 2024

    Author Photo

    Proactive navigation of the antitrust enforcement environment remains crucial this year as legal policy and tools evolve to meet intensifying global economic complexity, including geopolitical tensions, trade realignment, market volatility and inflation, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Global Cartel Enforcement Looks Set To Intensify In 2024

    Author Photo

    The cartel enforcement winds may strengthen this year, with the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as regulators in other countries, placing a renewed focus on pursuing international cartels and more traditional, hard-core cartel conduct, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Supreme Court Amgen Ruling's Major Effect On Enablement

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Amgen v. Sanofi invalidity holding continues to significantly affect technologies and all aspects of the patent system by providing confidence in the Federal Circuit's approach and a clearer understanding on enforceability and the disclosure needed for compliance, say Irena Royzman and Daniel Williams at Kramer Levin.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

    Author Photo

    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

    Author Photo

    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Top Considerations For Retailers Using AI To Combat Theft

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent enforcement action against Rite Aid indicates a significant evolution in the landscape surrounding biometric information and artificial intelligence data collection by retailers, meaning retailers should take reasonable measures to prevent harm to customers, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • 2 FCPA Settlements Illuminate Self-Disclosure, Disgorgement

    Author Photo

    Two of last year’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements — with biomedical company Lifecore and mining company Corsa Coal — suggest that the government will be much more flexible in negotiating disgorgement amounts if an entity voluntarily self-discloses misconduct, say Michael Gilbert and Lucas Amodio at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Anti-Kickback Statute Does Not Require But-For Causation

    Author Photo

    A proper interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute clearly indicates that but-for causation is not required for False Claims Act Liability, and courts that hold otherwise will make it significantly easier for fraudsters to avoid accountability, says Kenneth Capesius at Baron & Budd.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

    Author Photo

    Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Medtronic's Cautionary Tale Of Fed. Circ. Word Limits

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit's ruling in Medtronic v. Teleflex that Medtronic waived an argument that it had sought to incorporate by reference illustrates the pitfalls facing parties in complex patent cases involving numerous issues that cannot all be addressed within the strict word limits for appellate briefs, say Sean Murray and Jeremiah Helm at Knobbe Martens.

  • Key Legal Trends For Healthcare And Life Sciences In 2024

    Author Photo

    Due to the impact of contentious legal battles over drug pricing negotiations, the growing integration of artificial intelligence into drug development and manufacturing, and the publication of industry segment-specific guidance, the year ahead promises to be a dynamic period of changes and challenges, say Xin Tao and Lois Liu at Baker McKenzie.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Life Sciences archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!