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Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. v. Hospira, Inc.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the district court's determination that patents relating to aspects of the production of an antibiotic compound were obvious implementations of disclosures made in other patents that would constitute nothing more than the routine way a skilled artisan would apply the patent's teachings.




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Simmons v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the denial of attorney fees and costs to a man who sued claiming that he developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome as the result of a flu vaccination because the Court of Federal Claims correctly concluded that there was no reasonable basis for the claim.




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Sanofi v. Watson Laboratories Inc.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the district court's rulings in the case of a patent infringement claim relating to cardiovascular drugs where the court held that the plaintiff had proven that the defense's sale of proposed generic drugs with their proposed labels would induce physicians to infringe, and holding that none of the patents were invalid for obviousness.




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AmGen Inc. v. Sandoz Inc.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Returning once again after climbing and descending the appellate ladder several times, the court held that the defendant had not forfeited its preemption defense and that the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act preempts state law remedies for an applicant's failure to comply with aspects of the Act, and affirming the dismissal of the state law claims.




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US v. Stepanets

(United States First Circuit) - Reversing and Remanding an order dismissing counts in an indictment charging three defendants involving the dispensing of misbranded drugs in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because the judge's analysis involved several out-of-place factual assumptions that led to an incorrect finding regarding the sufficiency of an indictment.



  • Drugs & Biotech
  • Criminal Law & Procedure

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The Medecines Company v. Hospira, Inc.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the district court's finding of noninfringement and remanding to determine whether the on-sale bar applies in a case relating to an anti-coagulant drug because a different production method was distinguished from the patented method and a patent is invalid if the product was offered for sale and ready for patenting prior to the filing of the application.




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Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. v. Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the District Court's determination that a proposed generic nasal spray would not infringe the patents of a company manufacturing the Nasonex nasal product.




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Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. West Ward Pharmaceuticals

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the decision of the district court holding, after a bench trial, that the asserted claims of a patent relating to the treatment of schizophrenia with iloperidone administered based on the genotype of the patient were infringed and not invalid.




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Monsanto Company v. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirming the trial court's conclusion that Monsanto and others failed to state a claim in a suit where they averred that Proposition 65's reliance on the International Agency for Research on Cancer's determinations about which chemicals cause cancer improperly granted a foreign entity authority over domestic affairs.




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Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Iancu

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in an inter partes review proceeding of patents relating to boron-containing small molecules used to treat fungal infections, holding that all of the claims of a patent owned by a company were unpatentable for obviousness.




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Abbott Laboratories v. The Superior Court of Orange County

(California Court of Appeal) - Granting a petition for writ of mandate in a case where a group of pharmaceutical companies had been sued by the District Attorney under California's Unfair Competition Law for allegations that they had engaged in a scheme to keep generic versions of a prescription drug off the market, but the suit was based on conduct outside of the county where the DA served and allowing them to proceed with the suit without written consent would permit the DA to usurp the Attorney General's statewide authority and impermissibly bind other DAs, precluding them from pursuing their own relief.



  • Drugs & Biotech
  • Consumer Protection Law
  • Criminal Law & Procedure

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Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe v. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirmed that tribal sovereign immunity could not be asserted in a patent proceeding. A pharmaceutical company involved in a dispute over an eye medication patent transferred the title of its patent to a Native American tribe, which then moved to terminate the patent proceeding on the basis of sovereign immunity. Concluding that tribal sovereign immunity cannot be asserted in inter partes review, the Federal Circuit affirmed the denial of the Tribe's motion to terminate the proceeding.




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US ex rel. Wood v. Allergan, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Held that a False Claims Act lawsuit had to be dismissed because it was not the first-filed case accusing the defendant pharmaceutical company of certain improper Medicare and Medicaid billing practices. The plaintiff (relator) argued that his action should be allowed to proceed because the earlier action was no longer pending. Disagreeing, the Second Circuit held that a violation of the first‐to‐file bar, which prohibits a person from bringing a related qui tam action when one is already pending, cannot be remedied by amending or supplementing the complaint. The panel reversed and remanded.




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Oliver v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirmed that vaccinations given to an infant did not cause him to develop a seizure condition. The parents of an infant who developed an illness called Dravet syndrome after being vaccinated sued the Secretary of Health and Human Services for compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. Agreeing with the findings of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Federal Circuit held in a 2-1 decision that the parents failed to show that the infant's injuries were caused by his vaccinations.




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United Food and Commercial Workers Unions v. Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp.

(United States First Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of two putative antitrust class actions alleging that a pharmaceutical company took steps to block the entry of generic versions of its leukemia-treatment drug into the U.S. market. The plaintiffs, including several labor union benefit funds, claimed that the drugmaker engaged in anticompetitive conduct by bringing sham infringement lawsuits against manufacturers trying to enter the market with generic versions of that drug. Dismissing the complaints, the district court held that the plaintiffs had not plausibly alleged their claims, and the First Circuit affirmed.



  • Antitrust & Trade Regulation
  • Health Law
  • Drugs & Biotech

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Teamsters Local 404 Health Services and Insurance Plan v. King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Held that it was proper to remand to New York state court a case in which a labor union health plan sought disclosure of a patent dispute settlement agreement between pharmaceutical companies and the generic manufacturer of the EpiPen. Affirmed the district court's remand order, in this special proceeding under New York law seeking pre‐action disclosure.




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Trustees of Indiana University v. Curry

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Upheld the constitutionality of an Indiana law making it a felony to acquire, receive, sell or transfer fetal tissue. Indiana University sought an injunction barring enforcement of the statute, which impacts medical research. Reversing the district court, the Seventh Circuit held that the statute is not unconstitutionally vague, and also rejected the university's other constitutional arguments.




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Retractable Technologies, Inc. v. Becton Dickinson and Co.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Held that a manufacturer of medical syringes that falsely advertised its products did not have to disgorge its profits. That remedy would not be equitable under the circumstances here. Affirmed a post-trial ruling, in this lawsuit brought by a competing syringe manufacturer that also involved antitrust claims.




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Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. v. Albrecht

(United States Supreme Court) - Clarified when federal law will preempt a state law claim that a drug manufacturer failed to warn consumers of a drug's risks. Held that this preemption question is one for a judge to decide, not a jury. Also spelled out the "clear evidence" standard that applies in this context. Justice Breyer, joined by five justices, delivered the U.S. Supreme Court's majority opinion in this product liability lawsuit against a drugmaker.




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Nooit meer braaf: waarom je als personal brand met een rauw randje meer succes hebt

Als je als personal brand, als zelfstandig ondernemer online wil groeien, dan weet je vast al dat je elke dag weer moeten werken aan dat mensen je gaan kennen, dat ze je leuk gaan vinden en dat ze je gaan vertrouwen. Precies: know, like en trust. Je doet dit via je blogs, je webteksten, je […]




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De beste tools voor een design sprint op afstand

Het coronavirus (COVID-19) heeft impact op alle industrieën en zorgt voor een hoop uitdagingen en kansen voor organisaties. Remote werk kreeg een boost die we nooit voor mogelijk hadden gehouden. In dit artikel delen we de inzichten die we kregen tijdens onze remote design sprints, met een focus op handige tools, plus enkele tips en […]




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10x populair: videobellen via Zoom, purpose tijdens pandemie & SEO-teksten

Welke whiteboard-tools kun je online gebruiken, hoe kun je veilig videobellen via Zoom, en wat is de beste bedrijfsstrategie tijdens de coronacrisis? Dit – en meer – zijn de best gelezen artikelen op Frankwatching in de maand april. 1. Zoom & privacy: zo kun je veilig videobellen [how to] Zoom stond de afgelopen weken vol […]




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Effectieve samenwerking? Weg met eigenbelang en wantrouwen

“Als je iemand vertrouwt, maak je hem betrouwbaar”, zei de Romeinse filosoof Seneca. Maar geldt dat nog steeds in deze snel veranderende online wereld? Kun je in tijden van alternatieve feiten en online oplichters wel uitgaan van vertrouwen? En als asociaal eigenbelang op de loer ligt? Zeker in organisaties willen we graag ‘in control’ zijn […]




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4 formules voor een pakkende inleiding van je blog of artikel

In dit artikel leer je een pakkende inleiding voor jouw blogartikelen te schrijven. Ik deel vier van mijn favoriete technieken, leg ze allemaal beknopt uit en geef bij elke techniek een praktisch voorbeeld. Als SEO-specialist heb ik al honderden blogartikelen geschreven en gebruik ik deze technieken dagelijks! Waarom is een pakkende inleiding belangrijk? Bij het […]




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Zet in op een krachtig marketinginstrument: creëer fans

Fans. Veel bedrijven proberen van hun fans klanten te maken, maar het omgekeerde realiseren is net zo belangrijk. Een doorsnee klant kan zomaar overstappen naar een concurrent. Daarentegen zal een klant die echt fan is, je trouw blijven én anderen aanzetten om je product ook uit te proberen. Fans zijn daarmee grote aanjagers van aankoopbeslissingen. […]




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Wordt AI nooit slimmer dan mensen?

Gaan we in de toekomst machines uitvinden die zichzelf verbeteren, waardoor we geen controle meer hebben over de technologische groei? Dit omslagpunt wordt ook wel singulariteit genoemd. In dit stuk ga ik verder in wat hiermee bedoeld wordt én waarom we dit misschien nooit zullen bereiken. Optimisme versus pessimisme Er heerst zowel optimisme als pessimisme […]




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Het platform als podium: de voordelen van online ontmoeten

Sectoren die nu nog offline only acteren komen meer en meer onder druk te staan. Na het verdwijnen van hele winkelketens en het op de schop nemen van volledige branches is de digitale revolutie op weg om ook de wereld van zakelijke events en B2B-beurzen te ‘disrupten’. Het stevige podium dat de beursvloer biedt is […]




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De betrokkenheid van de klant in het digitale, post-coronatijdperk

De coronacrisis heeft een grote impact op de manier waarop we op dit moment met elkaar omgaan. Dat deze crisis een enorme boost gaat geven aan de digitale transformatie, is wel duidelijk. Maar wat zijn de consequenties van deze digitale versnelling voor de relatie tussen organisaties en hun klanten? Gaan we straks weer terug naar […]




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Corona: het is tijd om je contentmarketingstrategie aan te passen

Moet je nu wel of niet over corona publiceren? Zijn consumenten verzadigd als het gaat om coronagerelateerde content, of kun je ze er juist mee helpen? Ik merk dat ik corona-content een beetje uit de weg ga. Over het algemeen word ik er niet veel vrolijker van, dus ik maak liever ruimte voor andere onderwerpen. […]




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Wanneer kies je voor online bij het bereiken & betrekken van inwoners?

Van gemeenten wordt anno 2020 verwacht dat zij inwoners betrekken bij participatietrajecten, zijzelf dienen vooral een faciliterende rol op zich te nemen. Maar hoe maak je als gemeente hierin de juiste keuzes: organiseer je een fysieke bewonersbijeenkomst of kies je voor een online raadpleging? Uit het onlangs gepubliceerde onderzoek ‘Staat van Betrokkenheid 2020’ van onderzoeks- […]




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Alyssa Milano Promotes Debunked Jimmy Kimmel Video Maligning Mike Pence: 'F*ck the GOP and This Administration'

Actress and left-wing activist Alyssa Milano has promoted a deceptively edited video about Vice President Mike Pence that was created by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel -- even though the video has been debunked and Kimmel has publicly apologized for it.




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Afghan Farmers: Coronavirus Means ‘No Choice’ but to Grow Opium

Afghan farmers claim to have “no other choice” but to illegally grow poppies – a lucrative opium crop that fuels the country’s Taliban terror group – amid the economic downturn caused by the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Friday.





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Pennsylvania County Rips Governor’s Order Barring Businesses from Reopening

Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp of Pennsylvania’s Beaver County on Friday slammed Gov. Tom Wolf (D) over his order excluding the county from moving into the next phase of reopening.




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Charles Hurt: 'Demand Justice' Fight Back -- Against Judges Who Like the Constitution

Anti-democratic Democrats opened up a new front in their relentless war on an independent judiciary in America.





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Hans von Spakovsky: Flynn Still Needs Liberal Judge to Accept Dropped Charges

Discretion over acceptance of the DOJ's bid to drop charges against Michael Flynn lies with a left-wing judge, explained Hans von Spakovsky.




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Schiff: Trump, Barr 'Can't Gaslight History' -- Flynn Was a 'Prime Counterterrorism Risk'

Friday on MSNBC's "The Beat," House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Attorney General Bill Barr's Justice Department doing President Donald Trump's "dirty work" by dropping the case against former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was an attempt to "gaslight history."




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Schumer: Vote by Mail 'Will Be a Very Important Part' of Next Coronavirus Bill

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated that vote by mail provisions “will be a very important part of the legislation that we’re going to put forward, and we are going to fight




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UK Education Office Argues Christians Should Limit Their Beliefs to Church

The United Kingdom’s Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) argued before the High Court that Christian groups should not allow their religious beliefs to influence their professional activities.




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Chechen Migrant Drags French Policeman Over 60 Feet to Escape Virus Check

A Chechen migrant was arrested in the commune of Montereau-Fault-Yonne after dragging a police officer 60 feet with his vehicle while trying to escape a Wuhan coronavirus lockdown checkpoint.




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Italian Nurse on Coronavirus Frontline Raped by Illegal Migrant After Her Shift

An Italian nurse working on the frontline against the Chinese coronavirus was brutally sexually assaulted by an African migrant after finishing her shift and heading to her home.




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Maher: Trump Turning America 'Into a Failed State' 'More Important Than Tara Reade Achieving Closure'

On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher discussed the sexual assault allegations made by Tara Reade against 2020 Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and stated that the matter is a he said, she said,




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Delingpole: Michael Moore Has Become a 'Hero' to 'Climate Deniers', Complains Guardian

"How did Michael Moore become a hero to climate deniers and the far right?" asks a disturbed and tearful George Monbiot in the Guardian. Simple: by speaking the truth, for a change.




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Sanders: 'It Would Be an Economic Disaster' if Trump Didn't Fund Postal Service and It 'Went Under'

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) discussed what kind of economic stimulus should be passed to respond to the coronavirus and stated that it would be “an economic disaster” if President Trump didn’t fund the




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Donald Trump Criticized for Greeting World War II Veterans Without Mask

The wreath-laying ceremony took place outdoors on Friday at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, where seven World War II veterans joined the president and first lady.




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Pressure Mounts on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf as Even Democrats Now Question Coronavirus Shutdown

Pressure is increasing on Gov. Tom Wolf (D) to reopen Pennsylvania, even among Democrats, as it is revealed that the vast majority of recent coronavirus deaths in the state occurred at nursing homes or personal care facilities, the Morning Call revealed this week.





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Afghanistan Has Freed over 900 Taliban Jihadis So Far in Prisoner Swap

Afghanistan's government has freed 933 Taliban prisoners since the terrorists agreed to a peace deal with the U.S. in February, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported on Friday.