Life Sciences

  • June 20, 2025

    Psychedelic Therapy Reform Gets Boost From Conservatives

    Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry told attendees at a psychedelics conference this week that he was committed to loosening federal restrictions on a prohibited psychoactive substance that has shown promise in treating mental health conditions like opioid addiction.

  • June 20, 2025

    Justices Let E-Cig Retailers Join Challenge To FDA Prohibition

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that e-cigarette retailers can challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's denial of product marketing applications, finding manufacturers aren't the only entities that can be adversely affected by the agency's decisions.

  • June 20, 2025

    High Court Says FCC Orders Not Above District Court Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that district courts should be allowed to question the slate of regulations that the Federal Communications Commission has issued under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, further constricting the power of federal agencies to interpret laws.

  • June 18, 2025

    Texas Judge Vacates Biden-Era HHS Abortion Privacy Rule

    A Texas federal judge on Thursday agreed to vacate a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule finalized during the Biden administration that aimed to protect the privacy of patients seeking abortions and gender-affirming care, ruling that the HHS didn't have the authority to "fashion special protections" in areas of "great political significance."

  • June 18, 2025

    J&J Hit With $8M Verdict In Multi-Exposure Talc Case

    A jury awarded $8 million on Wednesday to a Massachusetts woman who said Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder caused her mesothelioma, rejecting the company's claims that family members' work around asbestos absolved it of blame.

  • June 18, 2025

    Anavex Gets Suit Over Rett Syndrome Clinical Trials Nixed

    A New York federal judge tossed an Anavex investor's proposed class action alleging she suffered losses from its misleading statements regarding methodologies used in neurological treatment clinical trials, ruling that stock prices rose from the day the statements were made after Anavex made corrective disclosures in a pre-market earnings call.

  • June 18, 2025

    Sotera Investors Urge 6th Circ. To Reopen Toxic Gas Suit

    Sotera Health investors are seeking to revive a lawsuit accusing the company of concealing the carcinogenic nature of a gas used at its sterilization plants, telling the Sixth Circuit that the company knew that its "outrageous and cynical" behavior would cost it hundreds of millions of dollars.

  • June 18, 2025

    Spectrum Pharma Investors Get First OK For $16M Deal

    A Nevada federal judge has given the first green light to a nearly $16 million settlement between a pharmaceutical company and a class of investors who claimed the company and its executives overstated the status of two of its developed drugs and withheld negative data and trial results, leading to a stock drop when the truth was revealed.

  • June 18, 2025

    Psychedelics And The Law In Focus At Colo. Conference

    Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced a pardon for all state-level convictions for psilocybin and psilocin possession at a psychedelics conference this week, in recognition that these substances are now legal in the state and in another indication that their relationship with the law is in flux.

  • June 18, 2025

    High Court Concurrences Signal Hard Battle For Trans Rights

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court's two most conservative members Wednesday to suggest laws that differentiate based on transgender status should be subject to the lowest level of judicial review, providing guidance to lower courts that will likely make it harder for litigants to vindicate trans rights.

  • June 18, 2025

    23andMe Seeks To Ease Concerns Over Sale To Founder

    Several states indicated Wednesday they may no longer oppose the $305 million sale of 23andMe to a nonprofit led by Anne Wojcicki, a co-founder of the company, after the debtor structured the transaction as an equity transfer.

  • June 18, 2025

    Dealmakers Eye More Crypto-Targeted SPAC Mergers

    More special purpose acquisition companies plan to seize upon the revival of cryptocurrencies under a second Trump administration and take cryptocurrency-related ventures public in the coming months, an attorney told a gathering of dealmakers on Wednesday.

  • June 18, 2025

    Ex-Drug Exec Must Testify, But Keeps 5th Amendment Rights

    Sandoz, Teva, Actavis and Taro can again subpoena the deposition testimony of a former Actavis and Teva executive, but a Pennsylvania federal judge is still allowing the witness to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, even though the Justice Department dropped the criminal charges against him.

  • June 18, 2025

    Ga. Court Backs Dismissal Of Hemp Farm's Drug Raid Suit

    A Georgia appellate panel has said that state law enforcement cannot be held liable for allegedly damaging tens of thousands of dollars worth of product at a hemp farm, ruling that the Georgia Department of Public Safety was wholly shielded by sovereign immunity.

  • June 18, 2025

    FDA Dodges Suit Over Ozempic, Wegovy Listing

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was able to escape allegations that it catered to Big Pharma by nixing cheaper versions of the miracle weight loss drug Ozempic, after a Texas federal judge tossed a lawsuit from two compounding pharmacies.

  • June 18, 2025

    DC Judge Restores Some Canceled COVID Grants For Now

    A D.C. federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore at least some canceled public health grants to four local governments, ruling the Trump administration likely exceeded its constitutional power when it terminated the grants in March.

  • June 18, 2025

    Dorsey & Whitney Adds Patent Partner From Perkins Coie

    Dorsey & Whitney LLP has grown its intellectual property offerings in Washington state with the addition of an experienced patent attorney from Perkins Coie LLP.

  • June 18, 2025

    DC Judge Throws Out Suits Over J&J Drug Discount Audits

    A D.C. federal judge nixed five lawsuits brought by hospitals that accused federal healthcare regulators of illegally authorizing Johnson & Johnson to audit their business records for compliance with the 340B drug discount program.

  • June 18, 2025

    Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee Transgender Care Ban

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors, finding that the state law does not violate the equal protection clause.

  • June 17, 2025

    Chinese Co. Draws Fla. AG Probe Over Health Device Security

    Florida's attorney general is taking a closer look at a Chinese manufacturer of health monitoring devices that he claims has been concealing "serious security problems" that have enabled unauthorized parties to manipulate and gain access to patient data. 

  • June 17, 2025

    Cancer Diagnostics Firm, Insurer Price 2 IPOs Totaling $902M

    Cancer-diagnostics test provider Caris Life Sciences Inc. and coastal-focused residential insurer Slide Insurance Holdings Inc. will begin trading Wednesday after pricing two initial public offerings that raised a combined $902 million, guided by five law firms.

  • June 17, 2025

    Novo Nordisk Settles TM Suit Against Clinic Over Compounds

    Novo Nordisk, the company behind drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy, struck a deal with an Ohio clinic to end its federal trademark infringement case, one of a slew of suits the pharmaceutical giant has filed against health facilities offering custom-made compounded drugs purporting to yield similar results to its blockbuster products used for weight loss.

  • June 17, 2025

    5 Court Battles Hinging On High Court's Trans Care Ruling

    An imminent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Tennessee's ban on gender transition care for minors is poised to have a sweeping impact as courts across the country weigh similar state and federal restrictions.

  • June 17, 2025

    ImmunityBio's $10.5M Investor Deal Gets Final OK

    A California federal judge has granted final approval to a $10.5 million settlement between oncology drug company ImmunityBio Inc. and investors who claim they were misled over the likelihood the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would approve the company's bladder cancer drug.

  • June 17, 2025

    Novartis Narrows Entresto Fight With MSN, Noratech Deals

    Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. has come closer to fully keeping a generic version of its blockbuster drug Entresto off the market, with MSN Pharmaceuticals Inc. backing down on its most contentious appeal and Noratech Pharmaceutical settling.

Expert Analysis

  • Maintaining Legal Compliance For GenAI In Life Sciences

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    As companies continue to implement generative artificial intelligence to enhance all phases of drug discovery, they must remain mindful of legal, regulatory and practical considerations as best practices in this space emerge and evolve, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Trending At The PTAB: The Influence Of Litigation Arguments

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    Recent decisions from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board shed light on the varying extent to which the board considers patent owners' district court arguments, particularly with respect to the meaning of claim terms, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Series

    Teaching Business Law Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching business law to college students has rekindled my sense of purpose as a lawyer — I am more mindful of the importance of the rule of law and the benefits of our common law system, which helps me maintain a clearer perspective on work, says David Feldman at Feldman Legal Advisors.

  • Deregulation Memo Presents Risks, Opportunities For Cos.

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    A recent Trump administration memo providing direction to agencies tasked with rescinding regulations under an earlier executive order — without undergoing the typical notice-and-review process — will likely create much uncertainty for businesses, though they may be able to engage with agencies to shape the regulatory agenda, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Mastering Discovery

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    The discovery process and the rules that govern it are often absent from law school curricula, but developing a solid grasp of the particulars can give any new attorney a leg up in their practice, says Jordan Davies at Knowles Gallant.

  • Maneuvering The Weeds Of Cannabis Vertical Integration

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    The conversation around vertical integration has taken on new urgency as the cannabis market expands, despite federal reform remaining a distant dream, so the best strategy for cannabis operators is to approach vertical integration on a state-by-state basis, say attorneys at Sweetspot Brands.

  • Opinion

    The IRS Shouldn't Go To War Over Harvard's Tax Exemption

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    If the Internal Revenue Service revokes Harvard's tax-exempt status for violating established public policy — a position unsupported by currently available information — the precedent set by surviving the inevitable court challenge could undercut the autonomy and distinctiveness of the charitable sector, says Johnny Rex Buckles at Houston Law Center.

  • Series

    Playing Guitar Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a lawyer not only requires logic and hard work, but also belief, emotion, situational awareness and lots of natural energy — playing guitar enhances all of these qualities, increasing my capacity to do my best work, says Kosta Stojilkovic at Wilkinson Stekloff.

  • Crisis Management Lessons From The Parenting Playbook

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    The parenting skills we use to help our kids through challenges — like rehearsing for stressful situations, modeling confidence and taking time to reset our emotions — can also teach us the fundamentals of leading clients through a corporate crisis, say Deborah Solmor at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Cara Peterman at Alston & Bird.

  • Justices' Labcorp Questions Explore Class Cert. Tensions

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    At the recent oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings v. Davis, the justices' questioning highlighted a fundamental tension between constitutional standing requirements, the procedural framework of Rule 23, and the practical challenges of managing large, diverse classes in complex litigation, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • 4 Legislative Proposals Reflect Growing Scrutiny Of Pharma IP

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    Bipartisan legislative momentum in Congress, including a recent package of bills targeting exclusivity strategies that delay generic and biosimilar competition, signals growing scrutiny of life sciences intellectual property strategies, so biologics companies and investors must pay attention to new strategic, compliance and litigation risks, says Olga Berson at Thompson Coburn.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • 7 Considerations For Conducting Drug Clinical Trials Abroad

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    With continuing cuts to U.S. Food and Drug Administration staffing motivating some pharmaceutical companies to consider developing drugs abroad, it's important to understand the additional risks and compliance requirements associated with conducting clinical studies in other countries, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Is Latest Signal Of Shaky Qui Tam Landscape

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    In his recent concurring opinion in U.S. v. Peripheral Vascular Associates, a Fifth Circuit judge joined a growing list of jurists suggesting that the False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, underscoring that acceptance of qui tam relators can no longer be taken for granted, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

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