Digital Health & Technology

  • May 03, 2024

    Ala. High Court Won't Rethink Decision On Frozen Embryos

    The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday refused to revisit its February decision finding that frozen embryos count as children, a first-of-its-kind decision that has been received as potentially ruinous for in vitro fertilization services in the Yellowhammer State.

  • May 02, 2024

    Walgreens Fights $1B Arb. Award Over COVID Test Contract

    At-home lab test maker Everly Health urged a Delaware federal judge to affirm its nearly $1 billion arbitration award against Walgreens over claims the pharmacy chain deliberately misused the digital health platform's trademark while secretly diverting COVID-19 tests to its own pharmacists while Walgreens argued the arbitrator overstepped his authority in bestowing such an "egregious" award.

  • May 02, 2024

    Masimo Hit With Derivative Suit Over Audio Co. Acquisition

    The top brass at medical device company Masimo Corp. has been hit with a shareholder derivative action claiming they harmed the company and "confused" investors by pushing through a $1 billion acquisition of an audio equipment company, allegedly causing a steep drop in stock prices and a $5.1 billion market capitalization loss.

  • May 02, 2024

    Lawmaker Wants Antitrust Probe Of Health Insurance Data Co.

    Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is calling for antitrust enforcers to investigate concerns that MultiPlan and other healthcare data companies are hurting competition by helping health insurers effectively collude when making pricing decisions.

  • May 01, 2024

    Sens. Slam UnitedHealth's Security Lapses, Breach Response

    UnitedHealth's top executive faced heavy criticism during his first appearance before a U.S. Senate committee since a cyberattack rocked its Change Healthcare subsidiary, with lawmakers blasting the company for lacking basic security measures and for still not being able to confirm the scale and scope of the incident.

  • April 30, 2024

    What's Behind the Q1 Digital Health Funding Rebound

    The digital health industry saw a resurgence in funding at the start of 2024, driven by a handful of mega-rounds and growing deal sizes across the board, but it also faced record-low deal counts as investors signaled pickier attitudes over which ventures they're choosing to fund.

  • April 30, 2024

    Patients Sue NC Plasma Donation Co. Over Data Breach

    A plasma collection company has been hit in North Carolina federal court with at least two proposed class actions as of Monday claiming it failed to safeguard patient data, resulting in a breach in which names, Social Security numbers, addresses and treatment information were allegedly exposed by hackers.

  • April 30, 2024

    Tougher Privacy Rule Won't End Abortion Data Fight

    Healthcare attorneys welcomed enhanced federal protections for patient abortion records. But the new rule likely won't release providers from the bind of complying with federal privacy law while potentially facing out-of-state probes into sensitive patient information.

  • April 29, 2024

    UnitedHealth's Cyberattack Response Is 'Inadequate,' AGs Say

    Nearly two dozen state attorneys general urged UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiary Change Healthcare "to do more" to address the fallout from a February cyberattack by Russian ransomware group Blackcat that breached their systems and services, noting their response efforts to the outage "have been inadequate."

  • April 29, 2024

    Amid Backlash, FDA Extends Control For Lab-Developed Tests

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration inked a final rule Monday that gives the agency broad authority over lab-developed tests by classifying them as medical devices, a move that has drawn ire from congressional leadership and those in the healthcare and life sciences industries.

  • April 29, 2024

    AI Pharma Co. Sued By Investor Over Handling Of Fired CEO

    Artificial intelligence-driven pharmaceutical company Exscientia PLC has been hit with a proposed class action alleging its former CEO engaged in inappropriate personal relationships with employees, and that the company's chairman knew but concealed it.

  • April 29, 2024

    Philips Inks $1.1B Deal To Resolve CPAP Injury Claims

    The plaintiffs' attorneys leading a multidistrict litigation against Koninklijke Philips NV and some of its American subsidiaries announced Monday that they had reached a $1.1 billion settlement agreement for plaintiffs claiming that degraded foam in their breathing machines caused them personal injuries or will require long-term medical monitoring.

  • April 26, 2024

    Ill. Hospital Wins Dismissal Of Genetic Privacy Case

    An Illinois state court judge has thrown out a proposed class action accusing Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp. of violating the state's decades-old genetic information privacy law, saying Wednesday the lead plaintiff not only released the hospital system from liability, but was largely asked about her own medical status after she was already offered a job.

  • April 25, 2024

    Stryker Says Sanctions Bid Goes 'Galaxies Beyond' Law

    Medical device maker Stryker urged a Colorado federal judge to reject an ex-distributor's latest request for sanctions, arguing in a brief that the distributor's $2.2 million bid goes "galaxies beyond" what it asked for at trial and what the Tenth Circuit said the court could entertain.

  • April 25, 2024

    Judge Decries Discovery Delay In Chicago Genetic-Bias Fight

    An Illinois federal judge has warned a proposed class of Chicago employees that further discovery delays in their suit alleging a city wellness program intentionally discriminated against them on the basis of their genetic information could result in the court barring witnesses' testimony from the case.

  • April 25, 2024

    Becton BIPA Suit Gets Cut Short Under Health Exception

    An Illinois federal judge permanently tossed a Chicago health worker's biometric privacy claims targeting Becton Dickinson and Co.'s drug dispensing cabinets, saying his arguments for putting distance between his case and foreclosing precedent "border on the frivolous."

  • April 25, 2024

    Philips Gets $506M Economic Loss Deal OK'd In CPAP MDL

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday gave final approval to a $506.3 million settlement to end economic loss claims in multidistrict litigation over Philips' recalled CPAP breathing machines, including $94.4 million for the plaintiffs' attorneys.

  • April 25, 2024

    Digital Health Co.'s Former GC Joins Perkins Coie In NY

    Perkins Coie LLP is bolstering its intellectual property practice, announcing Thursday that it has brought on the former general counsel and chief compliance officer of digital healthcare company Cleerly.

  • April 25, 2024

    Wellstar Sent Meta Patient Data Without Consent, Suit Alleges

    Wellstar Health System Inc. was hit with a proposed class action in Georgia federal court, with a patient alleging the confidential health information of "millions" was shared with Meta Platform Inc. without consent after Wellstar installed the company's tracking and collection tools on its website and patient portal.

  • April 25, 2024

    Hospital Operator Must Face Data Privacy Suit In Mass.

    A Massachusetts federal judge has ordered a hospital operator to face proposed class action claims that it exposed a patient's personal information to third parties, saying the patient had a reasonable expectation of privacy.

  • April 24, 2024

    Conn. Healthcare Co. Will Pay $1.5M To End Data Breach Suit

    Merritt Healthcare Advisors has pledged a $1.525 million settlement fund for more than 88,000 people whose personal information was exposed in a data breach in 2022, with class counsel at Laukaitis Law LLC and Cole & Van Note in line to receive $508,283, according to a motion for preliminary approval in Connecticut federal court.

  • April 23, 2024

    Privacy Bill Risks Adding To Growing Health Data Patchwork

    Lawmakers behind a new data privacy framework have trumpeted the plan as a bold consumer protection regime with significant benefits for data not already covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Some in the healthcare industry are less enthusiastic, saying the bill would make the privacy landscape more complicated.

  • April 23, 2024

    Colo. Neural Privacy Law Has Attys Scratching Their Heads

    Colorado's governor signed the nation's first law specifically protecting neural data last week, but privacy attorneys say key caveats in the legislation leave them unsure how far the measure really goes.

  • April 22, 2024

    Ransomware Still On Rise Despite Better Defenses, Firm Says

    Companies are becoming more adept at fending off and responding to a steady stream of ransomware attacks, but hackers' ability to continue to profit from these incidents and increased scrutiny by regulators and the plaintiffs' bar will keep pressure on companies to remain vigilant, according to a new BakerHostetler report.

  • April 22, 2024

    HHS Finalizes Rule Bolstering Abortion Privacy Protections

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday issued a finalized version of its new rule that aims to protect the privacy of abortion providers and patients by prohibiting the disclosure of information related to "lawful reproductive health care," according to an announcement made by the agency.

Expert Analysis

  • Mitigating Risks Of Developing Drugs And Devices With AI

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in drug and medical device development advances, companies should implement five key steps to identify and mitigate areas of potential risk before regulatory frameworks catch up, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Scope Of FTC's Health Info Enforcement May Expand

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    The Federal Trade Commission's proposed amendments to the Health Breach Notification Rule signal the agency's mounting efforts to regulate consumer health information beyond the reaches of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, which does not cover many recent health apps and technologies, say Jodi Daniel and Brandon Ge at Crowell & Moring.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Exposing Their Firms To Cyberattacks

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    Attorneys are the weakest link in their firms' cyberdefenses because hackers often exploit the gap between individuals’ work and personal cybersecurity habits, but there are some steps lawyers can take to reduce the risks they create for their employers, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy & Protection.

  • Rare FDA Move Shows Stance On Remote Monitoring Devices

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent warning letter to iRhythm Technologies represents a relatively unprecedented degree of scrutiny to the remote monitoring device industry, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Tips For In-House Legal Leaders In A Challenging Economy

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    Amid today's economic and geopolitical uncertainty, in-house legal teams are running lean and facing increased scrutiny and unique issues, but can step up and find innovative ways to manage outcomes and capitalize on good business opportunities, says Tim Parilla at LinkSquares.

  • Health Providers Must Beware FCA Risks When Using AI

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    Though recent innovations in artificial intelligence can potentially bring increased productivity, greater efficiency and reduced costs to the healthcare industry, providers must take appropriate precautions to avoid risks and potential False Claims Act liability, says Sara Lord at Arnall Golden.

  • New Considerations In Med Device Cybersecurity Compliance

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    Recent guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clarifies premarket submission procedures related to medical device cybersecurity, and indicates a significant expansion in the agency's expectations surrounding risk management practices for both manufacturers and providers, says Meghna Parikh at Buchalter.

  • Federal Oversight Of AI In Healthcare Is Taking Shape

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    A recent proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides early insights into how the federal government intends to oversee artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare, highlighting priorities like transparency, equity and potential kickback implications, say attorneys at Hooper Lundy.

  • A Close Look At Pennsylvania's Data Breach Law Changes

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    New amendments to Pennsylvania's Breach of Personal Information Notification Act will hold state agencies to stricter notification requirements more in line with those in other states, and will allow entities to determine a breach has occurred before their notification obligations take effect, says Lauren Godfrey at Constangy.

  • Abortion Pill Rulings Will Hinder FDA Authority

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    Although the Fifth Circuit recently stayed a Texas federal court's ruling that invalidated the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of a commonly used abortion medication, several points made by the courts are worth considering for their potentially chilling effect on FDA authority and the challenges they may create for the life sciences industry, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Key Guidelines For Conducting Clinical Trials Overseas

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Conducting clinical trials outside the U.S. offers many benefits to researchers, but these benefits come with countervailing ethical and legal challenges that must be carefully addressed, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • Recent Growth Factors Driving Life Sciences Transactions

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    In view of challenges posed by last year's economic downturn, life sciences companies have increasingly turned to collaboration and licensing arrangements, with a focus on deal activity in artificial intelligence, digital health and gene therapy, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • How Cannabis Cos. Can Keep Up With Privacy Compliance

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    With the cannabis industry's rapid growth and access to sensitive consumer information, and the ever-changing patchwork of state data privacy laws, it is becoming increasingly important for marijuana businesses to treat cybersecurity as a significant risk and management priority, say attorneys at Goodwin.