Life Sciences

  • July 16, 2026

    DEA Judge Lays Out Next Steps Following End Of Pot Hearing

    A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrative law judge has laid out upcoming deadlines following the conclusion of hearings on a proposal to move marijuana to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

  • July 16, 2026

    Senate Democrats Revive Bill To End Federal Marijuana Ban

    Senate Democrats on Thursday once again reintroduced a cannabis legalization bill that would remove the drug entirely from the ambit of the Controlled Substances Act and impose a tax-and-regulate scheme akin to what is currently in place for alcohol and tobacco.

  • July 16, 2026

    Walgreens Sues Mass. Medicaid Program Over Drug Rates

    Walgreens says administrators of the Massachusetts Medicaid program cannot rely on drug prices negotiated with pharmacy benefit managers to determine reimbursement rates, in a challenge to the state's effort to claw back $242,000 in alleged overpayments.

  • July 16, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Vacates $12.7M Copyright Award Against Gov't

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday vacated a $12.7 million copyright award against the federal government over unauthorized copies of software for a project on military health records, holding that the trial judge improperly relied on the project's later cancellation and awarded enhanced damages for willful infringement against the government.

  • July 16, 2026

    Ropes & Gray, Latham Steer $3.8B Eli Lilly Mental Health Deal

    Eli Lilly said Thursday it will acquire New York-based drug developer AtaiBeckley Inc. in a deal valued at up to $3.8 billion, expanding its pipeline of experimental treatments for depression and other mental health disorders.

  • July 16, 2026

    USTR Broadens Exemptions Ahead Of 25% Brazil Tariff

    A 25% tariff on Brazilian goods will begin next week with an expanded exemption list following public comments on the action, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced.

  • July 16, 2026

    Diagnostics Co. Labcorp Settles FCA Claims For $14.5M

    Diagnostics testing company Labcorp will pay $14.5 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that it submitted unnecessary Medicare claims for urine drug tests, the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office announced.

  • July 15, 2026

    Albertsons Slow To Review Wash. Opioid Sales, Judge Told

    Albertsons conducted few reviews of opioid dispensing by its Washington pharmacies for years after establishing a controlled substances compliance team, according to testimony played on Day 3 of a bench trial in the state's lawsuit accusing the company and its Safeway subsidiary of exacerbating Washington's opioid epidemic.

  • July 15, 2026

    Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To The US Supreme Court's Term

    Federal appeals courts had wide-ranging successes and struggles during the U.S. Supreme Court's recently completed term: One had its best showing in years following its worst showing in years; one felt déjà vu after recently starting to find favor with the justices; and one saw its reputation for independence occupy a rare role in the Supreme Court spotlight.

  • July 15, 2026

    Unilever Tangled In Litigation Again Over TRESemme

    Unilever's personal care unit was hit with a products liability lawsuit in New Jersey federal court Tuesday by customers who say the company's TRESemme shampoo products caused them to suffer scalp irritation, bald spots or their hair to fall out in clumps.

  • July 15, 2026

    Acorda Can't Add $66M To Award In Ampyra Royalty Fight

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday refused to alter an arbitral award issued to Acorda Therapeutics to include nearly $66 million beyond the $16.6 million it won in a multiple sclerosis drug dispute, saying the company "slept on its rights" and couldn't change the result now.

  • July 15, 2026

    Bristol Myers Sues Generics Cos. Over Planned Cardiac Drug

    Bristol Myers Squibb and MyoKardia have filed patent infringement suits in Delaware against a variety of pharmaceutical companies, including MSN Laboratories and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, targeting their planned generic versions of the cardiac drug Camzyos.

  • July 15, 2026

    Braveheart Bio, Attovia Join Growing Pipeline Of Biotech IPOs

    Two venture-backed biotechnology firms filed plans for initial public offerings this week, both with plans to raise around $100 million for their public debut.

  • July 15, 2026

    Polsinelli, Doctor Seek Toss Of 'Bad Faith' Patent Claims

    Polsinelli PC and a doctor who has been a client of the law firm have asked Mississippi and Tennessee federal courts to throw out Zavation Medical Products LLC and Choice Spine LLC's allegations that the firm and its client violated respective state laws by bringing "bad faith" patent infringement claims, saying the statutes the medical device makers rely on can't be brought by distributors or manufacturers.

  • July 15, 2026

    What To Watch In Massachusetts In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    As midsummer approaches, Massachusetts attorneys are focused on much more than just the Red Sox winning streak and the fallout from the Jaylen Brown trade; from a headline-grabbing federal prosecution to the midterm elections to cases that could shape the state's noncompete laws, practitioners have plenty on their radar in the latter half of the year.

  • July 15, 2026

    Squires Grants 10 PTAB Petitions, Denies 14 In Newest Order

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires turned away 14 Patent Trial and Appeal Board petitions on Tuesday, while instituting another 10.

  • July 15, 2026

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Flea, Tick Meds Suit Against Bayer

    A Ninth Circuit panel gave short shrift to Tevra Brand LLC's bid to revive an antitrust suit alleging Bayer HealthCare LLC used exclusive contracts to lock up the market for a flea and tick treatment for dogs and cats, preserving Bayer's jury win.

  • July 15, 2026

    Covidien Hid Mesh Risk From Doctors, Bellwether Jury Told

    A Massachusetts federal jury in the first bellwether trial over Covidien LP's hernia mesh products was told Wednesday that doctors were not warned about how quickly a safety feature could dissolve after the mesh is implanted in a patient's body.

  • July 15, 2026

    Glenmark Reaches $29M Deal In Generics Price-Fixing Case

    Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. and 48 states and territories have reached a $29.6 million settlement resolving allegations the company fixed prices in the generic pharmaceuticals market.

  • July 15, 2026

    WilmerHale Adds Drug Pricing Regulatory Expert In Denver

    WilmerHale added an attorney to its Denver office with experience advising pharmaceutical manufacturers and other life sciences clients on drug pricing regulatory issues, continuing a string of new hires with expertise in the industry.

  • July 14, 2026

    Albertsons Probed On Pharmacy Compliance Staffing At Trial

    Two former Albertsons pharmacy compliance executives testified in video depositions played Tuesday before a Washington judge considering whether Albertsons failed to prevent the diversion of opioids in the state, acknowledging the nationwide compliance team consisted of just six staffers between 2015 and 2020 despite heightened scrutiny amid the opioid epidemic.

  • July 14, 2026

    Sanofi Says Pfizer, Moderna COVID Jabs Infringe MRNA Tech

    Sanofi's pharmaceutical and therapeutics subsidiaries say the COVID-19 vaccines that have netted Pfizer and Moderna billions of dollars infringe their patents covering mRNA technology, according to a pair of lawsuits filed Tuesday in New Jersey federal court.

  • July 14, 2026

    Patent Eligibility Bill Divides Senators Over Health Costs

    Several U.S. senators expressed strong support at a hearing Tuesday for a bill aimed at expanding which inventions are eligible for patents, while others appeared to have reservations about the potential effect of the proposed changes on healthcare costs.

  • July 14, 2026

    Bayer Defends Fees For Seed Tech With Expired Patents

    Bayer asked a Missouri federal judge to dismiss a sweeping antitrust proposed class action, arguing that the independent seed company suing it, in a complaint that also includes breach of contract allegations, is contesting perfectly legal licensing fees charged for corn technology, even after the last patents expired.

  • July 14, 2026

    Judge Says Vanda-FDA Appointments Fight Likely Ripe

    A D.C. federal judge said he likely had jurisdiction to hear Vanda Pharmaceuticals' latest challenge to the Food and Drug Administration's structure for reviewing new drug applications, but wondered if a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision might doom the company's challenge on the merits.

Expert Analysis

  • How Nasdaq's 23/5 Rule Will Alter Public Offering Strategies

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent approval of Nasdaq's proposal to extend trading hours to 23 hours a day, five days a week, may reshape how certain public offerings are executed, particularly for confidentially marketed public offerings, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • The Paradoxical Duty To Adopt AI When You Can't Bill For It

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    Both billing for hours saved using artificial intelligence and preserving billable time by not adopting AI may violate rules of professional conduct, but until bar associations' ethics rules catch up to this emerging economic dilemma, firms must decide how to adjust fee structures themselves, says Ines Lassalle at Peyrot & Associates.

  • Tips For Litigating Life Sciences Investigations At The ITC

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    The International Trade Commission may soon become a significant battleground for life sciences companies as global intellectual property and trade disputes continue, increasing the importance of learning the ITC's unique considerations and litigation strategies, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Ch. 15 Ruling Is A Restructuring Blueprint For Cannabis Cos.

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    The recent Cannabist Chapter 15 recognition order is arguably the most significant cannabis bankruptcy development in U.S. history, providing a concrete and tested road map by which such companies with foreign parent structures can access the protective machinery of U.S. bankruptcy law, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Unsecured Synthetic Royalties May Be Returning

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    Recent royalty monetization deals mark a notable shift in a market that had largely moved away from unsecured synthetic royalty structures after a multiyear freeze triggered by the Mallinckrodt bankruptcy decision in 2022, which exposed a legal risk inherent to the structure, says Peter Schwartz at Covington.

  • Series

    Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

  • Protecting AI-Driven Innovation In Life Sciences IP

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    Recent developments, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's evolving inventorship standards, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the "person of ordinary skill in the art" standard demand that life sciences companies elevate AI patent strategy to a top priority, says Sandra Haberny at Quinn Emanuel.

  • What Prop 65 Listings For Welding Fumes, Drugs Mean For Cos.

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    With California poised to add welding chemicals and three medications to its list of known carcinogens under Proposition 65, businesses must assess risks from nontraditional pharmaceutical dispensing, occupational and environmental exposures to welding operations, and downstream exposures from the manufacture of both types of substances, says Gregory Berlin at Alston & Bird.

  • High Court's Hikma Decision Reshapes 'Skinny Label' Suits

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Hikma v. Amarin marks a significant victory for generic drug manufacturers, but rather than putting an end to so-called skinny label inducement claims, it narrows and refocuses them, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • Virginia's Cannabis Retail Veto Leaves Industry In Legal Limbo

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    Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's recent veto of legislation that would have established a regulated retail cannabis framework halts momentum built by the General Assembly, but it also sends important signals about what a future regulatory framework must address to survive, says Charles Slemp at Cozen.

  • Checking For AI Errors Is Now A Two-Way Street

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    A handful of recent federal and state cases demonstrate the importance of checking for errors generated by artificial intelligence not only in your own court submissions, but also your opponent's, as well as when catching opposing counsel's AI mistakes could result in an award for attorney fees, says Tamara Barago at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Shoring Up Corporate Law In Maryland

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    Launched more than 20 years ago to improve complex corporate adjudication, Maryland's Business and Technology Case Management Program has been a solid success in some areas, but there always is room for improvement, says Bill Krulak at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • State Enviro Agencies Give Cosmetics Regulation A Makeover

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    As state oversight of cosmetics rapidly expands, the new statutes and regulations governing these products are being implemented by environmental agencies rather than consumer product regulators, requiring manufacturers, distributors and retailers to reevaluate their supply chains and procedures, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • FDA's Chemical Review Process Heats Up Food Industry Risk

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's newly announced process for postmarket assessment of food additives signals a significant shift away from historically limited oversight, introducing both strategic opportunities and material risks for food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and others in the food supply chain, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Competing At Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing poker in male-dominated rooms taught me to treat skepticism as background noise when my opponents seem to underestimate me, to apply pressure when it matters and to adapt without losing strategic discipline — skills that are all indispensable in restructuring and insolvency matters, says Alexis Gambale at Pashman Stein.

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