Deals & Corporate Governance
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May 27, 2025
Bluebird Bio Beats Investor Suit Over FDA Cancer Warning
Massachusetts-based biotechnology company Bluebird Bio Inc. has beaten a shareholder suit accusing it of misleading investors about the likelihood of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision requiring a "black box warning" on one of its products due to the cancer risk it posed.
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May 27, 2025
Pharma Co. Says Chubb Failed To Pay Covered Defense Costs
A New Jersey pharmaceutical company said Chubb owes nearly $6.5 million in outstanding defense costs related to a multibillion-dollar arbitration dispute over the manufacture of an antiviral drug, according to a suit removed to federal court Tuesday.
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May 27, 2025
Paris VC Firm Cathay Closes $1B AI Venture Capital Fund
Paris venture capital firm Cathay Innovation said Tuesday that it has closed a $1 billion fund focused on artificial intelligence investments.
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May 27, 2025
US Trustee Wants Steward Health Switched To Ch. 7
The U.S. Trustee's Office is asking a Texas bankruptcy judge to convert Steward Health Care's Chapter 11 case to a court-supervised Chapter 7 liquidation, saying the hospital chain cannot pay the bills it has run up during its bankruptcy.
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May 27, 2025
Eli Lilly Inks $1B Deal For Non-Opioid Pain-Drug Maker
Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that it has inked a potentially $1 billion deal to buy SiteOne Theraputics, giving the pharmaceutical giant access to a non-opiod pain medicine ready for phase 2 trials.
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May 23, 2025
FTC Probing Alcon's $430M Lensar Deal
The Federal Trade Commission has requested additional information about Swiss eye care company Alcon Inc.'s planned purchase of Florida-based medical technology developer Lensar Inc. in a deal worth up to $430 million.
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May 23, 2025
Biotech Insider Traded On $3.5B Novartis Deal, Feds Say
A former board member at Chinook Therapeutics orchestrated an insider-trading scheme after learning about Novartis' plans to purchase the biotech company for $3.5 billion in 2023, according to an indictment announced Friday.
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May 22, 2025
EpiPen Direct Buyers, Mylan Get Final OK On Antitrust Deal
Mylan Pharmaceuticals' $73.5 million settlement with a class of direct EpiPen buyers has received final approval from a Kansas federal judge, closing out claims from institutional drug resellers that Mylan worked with Pfizer to forestall an EpiPen generic from hitting the market and artificially inflating prices for the emergency injectable.
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May 22, 2025
Nostrum Cleared for $1.75M Sale Of Ohio Drug Facility
Bankrupt drugmaker Nostrum Laboratories received approval from a New Jersey court for a $1.75 million sale of an Ohio facility after reaching an agreement with the buyer and lenders over the costs of removing controlled substances at the property.
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May 21, 2025
FTC Urges 8th Circ. Not To Pause In-House PBM Case
The Eighth Circuit should once again say no to a request to pause the Federal Trade Commission's in-house case accusing three pharmacy benefit managers of hiking up the price of insulin to line their own pockets, the agency has told the appellate court.
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May 21, 2025
AbbVie Gets Victory In Allergan Shareholder Suit Upheld
An Illinois state appellate panel said Wednesday that a trial court properly dismissed a shareholder class action against biopharmaceutical company AbbVie Inc. that accused the drugmaker of issuing unregistered shares to investors after acquiring Irish pharmaceutical company Allergan.
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May 20, 2025
Cancer Drug Co. Beats Investor Suit Over FDA Rejection
Cancer drug company Checkpoint Therapeutics Inc. has permanently escaped a shareholder suit alleging it understated the likelihood the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would refuse approving Checkpoint's lead product candidate, with a New York federal judge ruling company statements were not shown to be false or made with scienter.
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May 20, 2025
Healthcare Deals This Week: 23andMe, Pfizer, Hengrui
It was a busy few days for dealmaking in the healthcare sector, with major licensing transactions from names like Pfizer and Eli Lilly and a surprise buy of once-hot genetic testing company 23andMe from biotech Regeneron.
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May 20, 2025
Digital Health IPOs Serve As Litmus Test In Uncertain Markets
While public markets have been turbulent in recent months, digital health companies appear to be bucking the trend, pushing to go public even as others wait on the sidelines.
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May 20, 2025
Nursing Homes Facing 'Corporate Death Penalty' Owe $15.4M
The companies behind two Pittsburgh-area nursing homes convicted of falsifying staffing records were ordered Tuesday to pay a total of $15.35 million in restitution to the federal government, though the corporations' attorney told the judge that they had already received a "corporate death penalty" for their conviction.
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May 19, 2025
4th Circ. Partially Revives Eye Drop Maker's IP Theft Suit
A Fourth Circuit panel partially revived Monday eye drop maker OSRX Inc.'s trade secret theft lawsuit against a former sales executive who is accused of defecting to rival ImprimisRx with OSRX's confidential information, affirming the lower court's decision to send claims against the ex-executive to arbitration, but rebooting allegations against ImprimisRx.
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May 19, 2025
Bluebird Beats Patent Case Over Blood Disease Therapies
A Delaware federal judge has tossed a lawsuit against Bluebird Bio alleging two of its multimillion-dollar gene therapy treatments for blood disorders infringed patents held by San Rocco Therapeutics LLC, after the dispute had been narrowed by a previous claim construction ruling.
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May 19, 2025
NC Doctors Can't Block Pay Changes Amid Legal Challenge
A group of anesthesiologists can't stop their governing board from imposing changes to their compensation while they sue for breach of contract, a state business court judge ruled Monday, finding the doctors have other ways of obtaining relief that negate the need for an injunction.
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May 19, 2025
Biotech Services Company Files Ch. 11 With $60M In Debt
Contracted biotechnology research company AmplifyBio filed for Chapter 11 protection late Friday in Ohio bankruptcy court listing about $60 million in debt, saying it intends to sell its assets after failing to realize sufficient revenue to support its capital-intensive operations.
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May 19, 2025
BCLP Hires Career Crowell Commercial Atty In DC, Arizona
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP has hired a former Crowell & Moring LLP commercial litigator who will split time between the firm's Phoenix and Washington, D.C., offices, and will bring his practice representing companies in high stakes healthcare and antitrust matters to the firm, according to a Monday announcement.
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May 19, 2025
Covington Corporate M&A Atty Moves To Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance LLP has hired a Covington & Burling LLP partner for its U.S. corporate mergers and acquisitions practice to strengthen its capabilities in the healthcare and life sciences sector, the firm said Monday.
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May 16, 2025
Bank Balks At Nostrum Ch. 11 Sale Over Drug Disposal Issue
Waterford Bank NA has objected to New Jersey drugmaker Nostrum Laboratories Inc.'s plan to sell an Ohio property, saying the bank doesn't want to be left to pay for the disposal of large quantities of controlled substances left at the site, an issue the parties are now negotiating ahead of a hearing next week.
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May 15, 2025
Ex-CEO Cops To Conspiracy Charge In $212M Fraud Case
A New Jersey-based former CEO of a medical billing company has pled guilty to conspiring to commit securities fraud in connection with government claims he was part of a $212.5 million scheme to inflate the value of his company to defraud potential investors in a go-private transaction.
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May 15, 2025
NC Judge Warns Of Airing 'Dirty Laundry' In Doctors' Pay Clash
A North Carolina business court judge on Thursday told a group of anesthesiologists and their business partners to seriously consider mediating a dispute over compensation, cautioning that if they choose to litigate, they should "be prepared for their dirty laundry to be aired for everyone to see."
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May 14, 2025
Integra Brass Face Investor Suit Over FDA Compliance Lapses
Executives and directors of medical device company Integra Lifesciences Inc. were hit with a derivative suit alleging they misled investors about the company's compliance with regulatory standards for over five years, causing share declines when information regarding Integra's violations emerged.
Expert Analysis
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Expect More State Scrutiny Of PE In Healthcare M&A
While a California bill that called for increased antitrust scrutiny of many healthcare private equity transactions was recently vetoed by the governor, state legislatures are likely to continue introducing similar laws, particularly if the Trump administration eases federal enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Cos. Should Inventory Issues To Prep For New Congress
As the legislative and oversight agendas of the 119th Congress come into sharper focus, corporate counsel should assess and plan for areas of potential oversight risk — from tax policy changes to supply chain integrity — even as much uncertainty remains, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Next Steps In The $2.8B Blue Cross Payout To Providers
Healthcare providers deciding whether to participate in Blue Cross Blue Shield network's recent $2.8 billion antitrust class action settlement must weigh key recovery factors, including provider type and litigation cost, say attorneys at Hall Render.
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Fostering Healthcare Industry Success With Joint Ventures
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, joint ventures remain a key strategy to unite health systems, private equity firms and physician practices in leveraging their collective strengths to foster innovation and improve patient care, say Carole Becker and Travis Jackson at McDermott.
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What To Expect From Calif. Bill Regulating PE In Healthcare
A California bill currently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval, intended to increase oversight over private equity and hedge fund investments in healthcare, is emblematic of recent increased scrutiny of investments in the space, and may affect transactions and operations in California in a number of ways, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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SBA Proposal Materially Alters Contractor Recertification
The Small Business Administration's new proposed rule on recertification affects eligibility for set-aside contracts, significantly alters the landscape for mergers and acquisitions in the government contracts industry, and could have other unintended downstream consequences, says Sam Finnerty at PilieroMazza.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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Del. Dispatch: Director Caremark Claims Need Extreme Facts
The Delaware Court of Chancery recently dismissed Caremark claims against the directors of Centene in Bricklayers Pension Fund of Western Pennsylvania v. Brinkley, indicating a high bar for a finding of the required element of bad faith for Caremark liability, and stressing the need to resist hindsight bias, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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PE Firms Should Prepare For Increased False Claims Scrutiny
The impact private equity firms may have over medical decisions and care is increasingly attracting potential liability under the False Claims Act and attention from states and the federal government, so investors should follow best practices including conducting due diligence both before and after acquisitions, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs
A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.
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How 5 States' Deal Notification Laws Are Guiding Healthcare
Healthcare transaction notification laws at various stages of implementation in California, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon and Washington are shaping sector mergers and acquisitions, with significant transparency, continuity of care and compliance implications as providers tackle complex regulatory requirements, says Melesa Freerks at DLA Piper.
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The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Healthcare's PE Boom
While an influx of capital may provide access to new resources and innovative technologies, the private equity model's method of funding may be fundamentally at odds with patient-first healthcare, and in recent years that inherent tension has gotten ugly, say Eva Gunasekera and Jaclyn Tayabji at Tycko & Zavareei.
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High Court Made Profound Mistake In Tossing Purdue Deal
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.