Life Sciences

  • August 21, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Won't Rethink IP Safe Harbor Case

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday declined to review its decision affirming the dismissal of Edwards Lifesciences' infringement suit against Meril Life Sciences after Edwards urged the full court to narrow its interpretation of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration safe harbor that essentially allows patent infringement during drug development.

  • August 21, 2024

    Spine Implant Caused Patient's TB, Suit Says

    A North Carolina couple on Tuesday hit biologic technology company Elutia Inc. with a complaint in federal court alleging that the husband contracted tuberculosis from a bone cell product that was implanted into his spine during surgery.

  • August 21, 2024

    Cannabinoid Co. Sacked Exec For Flagging Fraud, Suit Says

    Psychedelics and cannabinoid company Benuvia Operations has been hit with a wrongful termination lawsuit in Colorado state court filed by a woman who claims management retaliated against her after flagging millions of dollars in misappropriated funds.

  • August 21, 2024

    Hedge Fund Priest Sues SEC Over Proposed Industry Ban

    A Greek Orthodox priest and hedge fund founder who beat most civil claims brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at a 2021 trial sued the agency Wednesday, claiming it is unconstitutionally trying to implement a lifetime ban from the securities industry through an administrative case.

  • August 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Doubts Idaho Trans Health Ban Doesn't Discriminate

    The Ninth Circuit appeared reluctant Wednesday to give the state of Idaho a green light for a prohibition on gender dysphoria treatment for minors, with judges vocally skeptical of the state's argument that the policy didn't discriminate based on sex.

  • August 21, 2024

    Judge Rules Lack Of Expert Dooms Families' Tylenol MDL

    Families trying to show that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen causes ADHD cannot rely on the "cherry-picked statements" of a defense expert to keep their claims alive, a New York federal judge ruled, delivering yet another blow to plaintiffs in the sprawling multidistrict litigation.

  • August 21, 2024

    Calif. AG Secures Rite Aid Deal Ensuring Pharmacy Access

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a settlement with Rite Aid Corp. that will allow his office to oversee any changes in ownership of the company's retail pharmacy outlets across the state.

  • August 20, 2024

    Mesh Was Implanted After Serious FDA Alert, Jury Hears

    A surgery patient went to trial Tuesday against an Oregon hospital and surgeon over an implant of prolapse mesh almost two weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered its maker to stop selling it.

  • August 20, 2024

    Ala. AG Can't Prosecute Aiding Abortion Travel, DOJ Says

    The Alabama attorney general's threats of criminal prosecution against individuals and corporations who assist others in traveling to obtain lawful abortions out of state violates the constitutional right to travel, the U.S. Department of Justice told an Alabama federal judge in a court filing Monday. 

  • August 20, 2024

    SF Police Can't Sue Navy Over Toxic Shipyard, 9th Circ. Says

    A group of San Francisco police officers cannot pursue their suit alleging the U.S. Navy misled the city into leasing a former naval shipyard that was not properly decontaminated following its use during the Cold War, which led to the officers suffering health problems, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    Advanced Bionics Sues Med-El At ITC Over Implant Patents

    Switzerland's Advanced Bionics has brought claims against Austria's Med-El at the U.S. International Trade Commission, alleging the rival maker of cochlear implants is infringing two patents on hearing aid technology and seeking an exclusion order banning Med-El's products from being imported into the U.S.

  • August 20, 2024

    Lender's $13M Atty Fee Reserve Bid In Eiger Ch. 11 Plan Nixed

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Tuesday mostly sided with life science company Eiger BioPharmaceuticals in estimating a secured lender's future claims, saying at a hearing that Eiger's Chapter 11 reserve for the claim should include two years worth of interest and agreeing that $1 million should be earmarked for legal fees, not the lender's requested $13 million sum.

  • August 20, 2024

    Fed Circ. Finds No Fault In Denial Of Flu Vaccine Claim

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the denial of a family's petition for compensation alleging their child developed narcolepsy as a result of the FluMist vaccine, saying the special master's determination that the family hasn't properly established the link was not arbitrary.

  • August 20, 2024

    Insider Trading Won't Impact Pilot's Tax Sentencing Guidelines

    A Manhattan federal judge found Tuesday that insider trading allegations won't bump up the guidelines sentencing range for a pilot for U.K. billionaire Joe Lewis who pled guilty to tax evasion.

  • August 20, 2024

    Vax Patent Battles Heat Up As Attention On Pandemic Wanes

    It's been over four years since clinical trials began for COVID-19 vaccines, and while the shots have helped the pandemic recede, the lucrative technology has spurred numerous patent suits, many of which are still in the early stages. Here's a look at some of the key cases in the U.S.

  • August 20, 2024

    Ex-Client Opposes Amicus In McCarter & English Fee Fight

    A dietary supplement maker has asked Connecticut's highest court to reject a bid by the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association to file a friend-of-court brief in a case questioning whether McCarter & English LLP can obtain punitive damages in a fee dispute, saying no additional input is necessary because no tort occurred.

  • August 20, 2024

    FTC Endorses Push For Broader Access To Biosimilar Drugs

    The Federal Trade Commission is backing a proposal that would make it easier for drugmakers to show biosimilar medicines are safe substitutes for their more expensive counterparts, a move the agency says would boost competition and reduce confusion.

  • August 20, 2024

    Pathology Trade Group 2nd To Sue FDA Over Lab-Test Rule

    A molecular pathology trade group has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, challenging a recent final rule to regulate laboratory-developed tests as medical devices and arguing the agency has abused its power — the second such case filed in recent months. 

  • August 20, 2024

    A Deep Dive Into Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women In Law Report

    The legal industry continues to see incremental gains for female lawyers in private practice in the U.S., according to a Law360 Pulse analysis, with women now representing 40.6% of all attorneys and 51% of all associates.

  • August 20, 2024

    These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships

    The legal industry still has a long way to go before it can achieve gender parity at its upper levels. But these law firms are performing better than others in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling that prevents women from attaining leadership roles.

  • August 20, 2024

    J&J Boosting Cardio Portfolio With Up To $1.7B V-Wave Buy

    Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire V-Wave Ltd., the maker of an implant device that aims to treat heart failure, for up to $1.7 billion as it looks to bolster its cardiovascular disease portfolio.

  • August 19, 2024

    TPG Dumped Opioid Co. On 'Unsuspecting' Endo, Suit Says

    After pushing Par Pharmaceutical to grow its market share in generic opioids and disregard federal requirements to report suspicious orders, TPG Capital saw other opioid manufacturers being inundated with litigation and sold Par to "an unsuspecting" Endo International PLC, according to a lawsuit filed in New York bankruptcy court.

  • August 19, 2024

    Biogen Paid To Help Curb Generic Tecfidera Sales, Says Suit

    Biogen illegally impaired competition for its multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera by paying major pharmacy benefit managers to prioritize the brand over generics while it worked to shift the market to a different version of the medication, a multi-employer welfare plan alleged Friday.

  • August 19, 2024

    NuVasive Beats Fraudulent Inducement Claim At Trial

    A Delaware federal jury has rejected a physician's claim that NuVasive Inc. fraudulently induced him to enter into a 2014 agreement related to patents he owns for spinal implant system components — but also rejected the medical device manufacturer's claim that the doctor had breached the deal by suing.

  • August 19, 2024

    9th Circ. Told Psilocybin Petition Is Backed By Precedent

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday dissected opposing arguments from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and a Seattle doctor over whether there is precedent to allow the dispensing of psilocybin — a psychedelic compound — to treat terminally ill patients.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    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.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • FDA's Multifaceted Role On Display In MDMA Therapy Scrutiny

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    Ongoing deliberations at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder serves as a window into the intricate balance of scientific innovation and patient safety oversight, and offers crucial insights into regulatory nuances, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Kevin Lanzo at Pharmaka Clinical Consulting.

  • 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.

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