Life Sciences

  • August 19, 2026

    NYC's DNA Policies Led To Fabricated Evidence, Suit Says

    A man who was wrongfully convicted of raping a woman claims he was framed by the New York City medical examiner's office, alleging in a federal lawsuit Wednesday that the agency's unconstitutional protocols led forensic analysts to generate fabricated DNA evidence that misled the prosecution and jury.

  • August 19, 2026

    5th Circ. Tells FDA To 'Rethink' Rule Behind E-Cig Rejection

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday agreed with vaping companies that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration overstepped its authority when it repeatedly blocked approval of flavored e-cigarettes without a notice-and-comment period, holding that the repeated denials constitute a rule that the agency must "rethink" or readopt properly.

  • August 19, 2026

    Abbott Deal Ends Appeal After $495M Baby Formula Trial Loss

    Abbott Laboratories Inc. has struck a deal with a family that won a $495 million judgment against the U.S. pharmaceutical company in a bellwether trial over claims that its baby formula caused a premature baby to suffer a disabling condition, after a midlevel appellate court upheld the win, according to court filings.

  • August 19, 2026

    1st Circ. Says Apellis Disclosures Weren't 'Half-Truths'

    A First Circuit panel on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a securities fraud lawsuit accusing Apellis Pharmaceuticals and some of its top executives of misleading investors about the safety testing of the company's eye drug Syfovre, finding no actionable claim the company told "half-truths" about potential side effects of inflammation that can lead to blindness. 

  • August 19, 2026

    Albertsons Says Wash. Failed To Prove Opioid Claims At Trial

    Albertsons Cos. Inc. urged a Seattle judge on Tuesday to throw out Washington state's lawsuit accusing the chain and its subsidiary Safeway Inc. of fueling Washington's opioid crisis, arguing that the state failed to prove wrongdoing by the companies after nearly five weeks of an ongoing bench trial.

  • August 19, 2026

    Double Patenting Ripe For Fresh Fed. Circ. To Clarify Things

    The already complex doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting may now be more tangled following a decision and a brief from the patent office seemingly taking different views on a key issue, but that could set the stage for the Federal Circuit to provide clarity, attorneys say.

  • August 19, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Backs PTAB's Ax Of 10x Genomics Patent Claims

    The Federal Circuit declined Wednesday to save claims in a trio of 10x Genomics patents covering nucleic acid analysis methods, affirming decisions from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board that sided with Parse Biosciences Inc.'s obviousness challenges to the claims.

  • August 19, 2026

    FTC Asks Court To Keep Trans Health Suit In Texas

    The Federal Trade Commission has asked a Texas federal court to keep its suit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health in the Lone Star State, saying that the organization incorporated there in 1980.

  • August 19, 2026

    Pro-Business Foundation Backs J&J's Stelara Antitrust Win

    Insurer CareFirst's bid to revive an antitrust lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over its acquisition of patents affecting competitors would throw cold water over drug company mergers, burden government regulators and strip the issue of intent out of antitrust enforcement, according to an amicus brief filed by the Washington Legal Foundation.

  • August 19, 2026

    HHS, USDA Must Withdraw Dietary Guidelines, DC Court Told

    A public health nonprofit on Wednesday urged a D.C. federal court to order the federal government to withdraw dietary guidelines it issued earlier this year, arguing that reviewers who advised on the guidelines had significant conflicts of interest and were selected without public oversight.

  • August 19, 2026

    Polsinelli Can't Rep Doctor In 'Bad Faith' IP Suits, Cos. Say

    Two medical device companies suing Polsinelli PC and its longtime client, a patent-holding doctor, for allegedly pursuing "bad faith" infringement claims asked federal courts in Tennessee and Mississippi to disqualify the firm from defending the doctor in the lawsuits, citing their "diverging interests and liabilities."

  • August 19, 2026

    Pa. Judge Rejects $360M Offset In Generics Antitrust Case

    The Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing antitrust multidistrict litigation against generic-drug makers over alleged price-fixing has rejected a request by the pharmaceutical company defendants to set off any potential award to insurance company plaintiff Humana Inc. by $360 million given its success in separate litigation.

  • August 19, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Initial Arbitration No Obstacle To EFAA

    A split Ninth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday that a fired biopharmaceutical executive could quit arbitration and file a suit claiming her boss subjected her to gender-based harassment, finding the pivot was fair game under a law that shields sex misconduct disputes from out-of-court resolutions.

  • August 19, 2026

    Trump Taps White House Aide Overton To Lead FDA

    President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the nomination of White House aide Heidi Overton, an abortion opponent who has urged states to roll back vaccine requirements, to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

  • August 19, 2026

    Judge May Trim $88M Covidien Hernia Mesh Verdict

    A Massachusetts federal judge said Wednesday she is "likely" to reduce a jury's recent $88 million verdict in a bellwether hernia mesh lawsuit and encouraged lawyers for an Alabama couple and Covidien LP to consider a settlement.

  • August 18, 2026

    At DC Circ., Pharma's Latest Pricing Loss Has Silver Linings

    The pharmaceutical industry's far-flung crusade against Medicare's new negotiation powers suffered a fresh setback Tuesday as the D.C. Circuit joined sister circuits in upholding the landmark pricing program, but the defeat contained consolation prizes that will fuel further litigation.

  • August 18, 2026

    DC Circ. Revives Part Of Fight Over Braille-Free Drug Label

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday partially vacated a lower court judgment that had upheld the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of a label without braille for Teva Pharmaceuticals' generic version of a drug often prescribed to blind people.

  • August 18, 2026

    Mich. Fights Atty Fee Demand in Newborn Blood Spot Lawsuit

    The state of Michigan told a federal judge on Tuesday that the $372,400 in legal fees requested by plaintiffs in a newborn blood spot lawsuit is "excessive" and that an award should be either delayed or significantly lowered.

  • August 18, 2026

    DEA Blasts Marijuana Foes' Objections To Rescheduling

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Monday told an administrative law judge that federal restrictions should be loosened on marijuana and that opponents of cannabis reform brought a meritless challenge to health regulators' assessment of the drug's medical use.

  • August 18, 2026

    BioMarin Buying Alesta Therapeutics For Up To $490M

    Jones Day-advised BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire Alesta Therapeutics for $275 million upfront and up to another $215 million tied to the development and regulatory progress of Alesta's lead drug candidate.

  • August 18, 2026

    11th Circ. Affirms Kickback Convictions For Pain Doc, Salesman

    The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the conviction and sentences of a Florida pain doctor and a salesman found guilty of participating in a kickback conspiracy for prescribing a fentanyl spray, ruling prosecutors had "overwhelming" evidence the men knowingly participated in "sham" drug promotion events.

  • August 18, 2026

    Infant Formula MDL Judge Laments Ongoing 'Trial-By-Video'

    The Illinois federal judge handling multidistrict litigation claiming Mead Johnson or Abbott Laboratories infant formula led to a severe gut illness in premature babies deemed it "disappointing" that testimony in an ongoing bellwether trial largely consists of video depositions, warning she won't conduct another unless most witnesses will take the stand in Chicago.

  • August 18, 2026

    Medical Device Exec Cashed In On Bad Quarter, Feds Charge

    A former Treace Medical Concepts executive was arrested on insider trading charges Tuesday, after New York federal prosecutors said he exploited secret warnings about the Florida medical device company's sales and turned a $37,000 profit betting its stock would fall.

  • August 18, 2026

    DLA Piper Taps Weil Partner As New York PE Co-Lead

    DLA Piper has announced it hired a Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP partner to co-lead its private equity practice in New York.

  • August 18, 2026

    ​​​​​​​Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court last week tackled disputes involving multibillion-dollar mergers, corporate oversight, founder control, SPAC litigation, commercial contracts and attorney fees.

Expert Analysis

  • 10th Circ. Ruling Undermines False Ad 'Two Clicks' Rule

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    The Tenth Circuit’s recent ruling in KetoNatural Pet Foods v. Hill's Pet Nutrition substantially challenges a long-standing assumption that a company can avoid responsibility for promotional claims simply because the consumer encountered them by clicking a hyperlink to a third-party website, say attorneys at Venable.

  • How Drug Trial Prediction Markets Pose Insider Trading Risks

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    Multiple prediction market platforms have recently announced plans to offer event contracts related to clinical trial outcomes and regulatory decisions, creating new insider trading risks by expanding the group of people possessing related material nonpublic information far beyond traditional corporate insiders, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Mich. Ruling Gives Consumer Protection Law Its Teeth Back

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    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent decision in Attorney General v. Eli Lilly, overruling key holdings in two earlier cases, means that Michigan businesses can no longer defeat allegations of deceptive conduct under the state's consumer protection law simply by pointing to any governmental regulation of the business, say attorneys at DiCello Levitt.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

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    Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

  • AI Chatbot's Medical Claims Highlight Enforcement Risks

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    The Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine's recent lawsuit against Character Technologies, arguing that an artificial intelligence chatbot engaged in the unlicensed practice of medicine, may provide other state licensing boards with a road map for going after AI platforms, and counsel should advise clients to calibrate compliance accordingly, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • 7th Circ. Ruling May Reduce Litigation Risk For Text Marketers

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    The recent Seventh Circuit holding in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services that unwanted marketing text messages are not telephone calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act may strengthen companies' responses to presuit demand letters and early-stage litigation claims premised on do-not-call text theories, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How Calif. Ruling Defines Drug Cos.' R&D Responsibilities

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    The California Supreme Court's recent ruling in the Gilead Tenofovir Cases, which held that drugmakers have no duty to bring allegedly safer alternatives to market more quickly, is a win for pharmaceutical companies — but not a grant of blanket immunity for all early-stage drug development decisions, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Midyear Trends, Takeaways As Securities Class Actions Surge

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    High numbers of securities class actions through June suggest filings will stay elevated, with factors like changing enforcement attitudes, media scrutiny and the proliferation of potential defendants serving as both cause and effect in increased litigation involving AI-related disclosures, health and tech companies, and foreign issuers, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Going To Hardcore Shows Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While government contracts law and the hardcore scene may seem entirely unrelated, in my experience, both are about community, focus, being prepared for the unexpected and managing chaos, says Isaac Natter at Fluet.

  • How Home Infusion Providers Can Adapt To Enrollment Pause

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    Recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services moratoria on new enrollments of home health agencies, medical equipment companies and hospices make home infusion providers' compliance obligations more complex and ambiguous, requiring new careful consideration of specific enrollment requirements and limitations, say attorneys at Quarles & Brady.

  • USPTO Practitioner Roster Reflects A More Veteran Workforce

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    An analysis of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Office of Enrollment and Discipline practitioner roster reveals a widening demographic imbalance between new practitioners and those with more experience, but despite this trend, an expected falloff in practitioner numbers has yet to arrive, says Ian Schick at Paximal.

  • How 'Markedly Different' Test Shapes Patent Eligibility Debate

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    Following last month's U.S. Senate hearing on the proposed Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, it is important to examine how courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have applied the 46-year-old "markedly different characteristics" framework to determine eligibility of composition-of-matter claims, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Opinion

    2nd Circ. Tylenol Ruling Misapplies Daubert Gatekeeping

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    The Second Circuit's recent ruling in Rutledge v. Walgreen Co., holding that a lower court should not have excluded experts alleging links between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism, threatens to swallow the Daubert standard by limiting courts' consideration of scientific consensus in assessing reliability of expert testimony, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • 5 Antitrust Lessons On Bundled Discounts After Medtronic

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    The recent California federal court decision upholding a $381.7 million verdict against Medtronic offers practitioners a clearer road map for navigating bundled discount claims under Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and the practical implications are substantial, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    After Monsanto, Defense Bar Must Build Case Against Lohr

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Monsanto v. Durnell has helped to demolish the foundation for its problematic 1996 ruling in Medtronic v. Lohr — so now defense counsel should lay the groundwork for the high court to overturn Lohr, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

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