Policy & Compliance

  • March 12, 2026

    US Chamber Report Warns Of Risks To IP Protection

    While the U.S. has ranked at the top of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's list measuring how countries worldwide are enforcing intellectual property laws, the group said problems with free trade agreements and efforts to reduce pharmaceutical prices could cause problems on the horizon domestically.

  • March 12, 2026

    Doc's Hands Aren't Property, Texas Panel Rules In Death Suit

    A state-employed doctor's hands are not "tangible personal property," a Texas appeals court ruled Thursday, dismissing a wrongful death suit from the family of a patient who contracted a fatal infection during her hospital stay. 

  • March 11, 2026

    New Wyoming Abortion Law Faces Familiar Legal Challenge

    Just a day after it was signed into law, Wyoming's new anti-abortion law triggered a legal challenge from the same health clinic that successfully sued over the state's previous abortion limits.

  • March 11, 2026

    La. Fights Dismissal Bid In Abortion Regulation Dispute

    The state of Louisiana urged a federal court to deny motions by GenBioPro Inc. and Danco Laboratories seeking dismissal of its suit challenging federal regulation on mail-order abortion drugs, arguing it has established harms stemming from the regulations.

  • March 11, 2026

    Ohio Hospital Defeats DaVita's Dialysis Discrimination Suit

    An Ohio hospital and its health benefit plan did not discriminate against patients with end-stage renal disease by eliminating in-network coverage for dialysis, a federal court ruled, finding that dialysis provider DaVita Inc. failed to show the plan intended to harm participants.

  • March 11, 2026

    VA, DOJ Cut Deal To Make Attys Mental Health Guardians

    Under a new initiative, attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice will serve as legal guardians for some homeless veterans, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday, though some veterans advocates expressed concern that the new program could involuntarily coerce veterans experiencing mental health issues into institutional care.

  • March 11, 2026

    Aetna Will Pay $117.7M To Resolve False Billing Suit

    Aetna Inc. has agreed to pay $117.7 million to settle claims that the company violated the False Claims Act by submitting, and failing to correct, false diagnosis codes for its Medicare Advantage plan customers in order to boost cash flow from the federal insurance program, the U.S. attorney's office in Philadelphia said Wednesday.

  • March 10, 2026

    A Look At The Real Impact Of The FTC's PBM Settlements

    It may all come down to the details in a landmark settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and one of the biggest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S., as delayed timelines and a key carveout provision threaten to dampen sweeping changes to the larger system.

  • March 10, 2026

    5th Circ. Revives J&J Sales Rep's Wage Dispute

    A Texas federal court did not take into consideration relevant factors to determine whether a former Johnson & Johnson sales representative's failure to retain local counsel in his wage and hour suit represented excusable neglect, the Fifth Circuit ruled on Tuesday.

  • March 10, 2026

    Sanofi Says Judge Botched Insulin Device Patent Listings

    Sanofi-Aventis sparred with drug wholesalers over a Massachusetts federal magistrate judge's pronouncements that the parties should go to trial on claims the pharmaceutical giant used improper insulin device patent listings to anticompetitively protect the blockbuster Lantus insulin pen from competition.

  • March 10, 2026

    Lab's Aetna Payment Suit Survives, But With Deep Cuts

    A Connecticut federal judge ruled Aetna and its parent company, CVS Health Corp., must face a pared down lawsuit from a medical laboratory alleging it is owed $20.6 million in unpaid invoices.

  • March 10, 2026

    Wash. To Set Its Own Vaccine Schedule Under New State Law

    Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed legislation that requires health plans to cover vaccines and other preventive care recommended by the state rather than the federal government, joining a movement toward states setting their own recommendations.

  • March 10, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs W.Va.'s Trans Care Coverage Exclusion

    The Fourth Circuit said Tuesday that West Virginia's Medicaid coverage exclusion for gender-affirming care passes constitutional muster and does not discriminate based on sex, basing its conclusion on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

  • March 10, 2026

    CVS Can't 'Relitigate' Price-Gouging Class Cert.

    A Rhode Island federal judge refused to narrow the certified classes of health plans alleging CVS schemed with pharmacy benefit managers to overcharge insured health plans for generic drugs, finding that PBM Express Scripts' refusal to produce its contracts changes nothing about how the classes will be assessed.

  • March 10, 2026

    2nd Circ. Revives Geico's Suit Over Acupuncture Referrals

    A lower court erred in granting summary judgment to Geico after the insurer sued over reimbursements to an acupuncturist involved in what Geico said was a kickback scheme, the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday, finding the district court misinterpreted a state law detailing requirements for referrals and no-fault payments. 

  • March 10, 2026

    Minn. Medicaid Funds Case A Test For CMS Tactic

    Minnesota’s fight over $243 million in Medicaid funding frozen by the Trump administration sets up an unusual, politically tinged legal clash that may shape the government’s anti-fraud tactics in other states.

  • March 10, 2026

    Wyoming Abortion Ruling Sets Off Lawmaker Backlash

    Lawmakers in Wyoming won't let judges have the final word on abortion and have considered slashing judicial security funding and shrinking the top court. This week, the governor signed a new "heartbeat" abortion ban likely to see new legal challenges.

  • March 10, 2026

    Former Conn. Prosecutor Can Stay On Generic-Drug Case

    Connecticut's former assistant attorney general can continue to represent insurers Humana and Molina Healthcare Inc. in multidistrict litigation over alleged price-fixing of generic drugs, after the Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing the case agreed Monday with a report that the attorney has no information that had not already been shared.

  • March 10, 2026

    AFSCME Sues Trump Admin Over $600M Health Funding Cuts

    The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is seeking to block a federal government directive to cancel more than $600 million in public health grants administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alleging that the directive was issued to target Democratic-led states.

  • March 10, 2026

    Abortion Ban, Drug Pricing: Health Litigation Week In Review

    Indiana's abortion ban and religious freedom, a proposed class action over Express Scripts pricing, and a deal over abortion pill ads. Law360 looks at big legal developments from the past week.

  • March 09, 2026

    Texas AG Gets Temporary Ban On Chest Binder Sales

    A Texas state judge has issued a temporary restraining order against a New York-based online retailer of undergarments and chest binders for young women and teens from selling its clothing in the Lone Star State.

  • March 09, 2026

    Vehicle Manufacturer Strikes Deal In Tobacco Surcharge Suit

    Commercial vehicle manufacturer International Motors LLC has agreed to end a proposed class action claiming it unlawfully charges employees who use tobacco products an additional $600 per year for health insurance without providing an alternative to the fee, according to a filing in Illinois federal court.

  • March 09, 2026

    NC Providers Sue UnitedHealth Over 'Devastating' Cyberattack

    UnitedHealth Group Inc. and several of its subsidiaries are facing a proposed class action in North Carolina state court over a 2024 data breach that took its claims processing platform offline and allegedly delayed billions of dollars in reimbursements to providers.

  • March 09, 2026

    JPMorgan Trims But Can't Escape ERISA Drug Costs Suit

    A New York federal judge pared claims Monday against JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a suit from workers who alleged they paid too much for prescription drugs, but opened discovery on allegations that the bank's contract with its pharmacy benefit manager caused transactions prohibited by federal benefits law.

  • March 06, 2026

    ExThera Exec Hid Patient Deaths To Keep $10M Deal, DOJ Says

    Medical device company ExThera concealed the deaths of two U.S. patients treated with its unapproved blood filtration device at a clinic in Antigua, according to federal prosecutors, with the company agreeing to forfeit nearly $5.7 million and one executive facing up to three years in prison.

Expert Analysis

  • Tips For Pharma-Biotech Overlap Reporting In New HSR Form

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    While there’s no secret recipe for reporting overlaps to the Federal Trade Commission in the new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act form, there are several layers of considerations for all pharma-biotech companies and counsel to reflect on internally before reporting on any deal, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • A Look At Drug Price Negotiation Program's Ongoing Impact

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    More than two years after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the rapid implementation of the drug price negotiation program, attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the IRA has influenced licensing strategies, and how maximum fair prices under the law have economically affected certain drugs.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Drug Pricing Policy Trends To Expect In 2025 And Beyond

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    Though 2025 may bring more of the same in the realm of drug pricing policy, business as usual entails a sustained, high level of legal and policy developments across at least six major areas, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Top 10 Healthcare And Life Sciences Issues To Watch In 2025

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    Under the new Trump administration, this coming year may benefit some healthcare and life sciences stakeholders, while creating new challenges for others amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 4 Keys To Litigating In An Active Regulatory Environment

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    For companies facing litigation influenced by government regulatory action — a recent trend that a politically charged atmosphere will exacerbate — there are a few principles that can help to align litigation strategy with broader public positioning in the regulatory and oversight context, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • How Views On Healthcare Price Transparency Are Changing

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    Regulators' attitudes toward price transparency regulation have shifted over the past several years in ways that may seem contradictory, and research into detailed rate information published by hospitals and health plans has yielded mixed results, says Matthew List at Charles River Associates.

  • EEOC Wearable Tech Guidance Highlights Monitoring Scrutiny

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent fact sheet on wearable technologies cautions against potential issues with federal anti-discrimination laws and demonstrates growing concern from regulators and legislators about intrusive technologies in the workplace, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Navigating The Potential End Of GLP-1 Drug Shortages

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's determination of whether GLP-1 products are in shortage may affect how compounders provide these products and spur a range of litigation including patent disputes and unfair competition suits, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Politicized OIGs Could Target Federal Employees, Contractors

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    After President Donald Trump fired nearly 20 inspectors general last week, it’s worth exploring how the administration could use Offices of Inspectors General to target federal employees and contractors, why it would be difficult to fight this effort, and one possible bulwark against the politicization of these watchdogs, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Takeaways From DOJ Fraud Section's 2024 Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Paul Weiss highlight notable developments in the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section’s recently released annual report, and discuss what the second Trump administration could mean for enforcement in the year to come.

  • IVF Suits Highlight Need For Better Legal Frameworks

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    The high number of in vitro fertilization embryo losses underscores the need for more cohesive legal and regulatory guidance related to human errors, property versus personhood, and liability, says Jeff Korek at Gersowitz Libo.

  • Takeaways From FDA's Updated Confirmatory Trial Guidance

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's latest draft guidance about accelerated drug approval indicates the FDA's intent to address the significant lag time between accelerated approval and full approval of drugs and may help motivate the industry to complete confirmatory trials, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.