In a July 24, 2020 decision, the Ninth Circuit instructed the district court to dismiss without prejudice claims by a generic-drug industry association challenging a California statute prohibiting pay-for-delay agreements.
The case came to the panel on interlocutory appeal after a California federal judge rejected the Association for Accessible Medicines’ (AAM) bid for a preliminary injunction that would block implementation of A.B. 824, which the governor signed into law in October last year. The panel agreed with the district court and found that AAM had not satisfied the requirements of standing because it had not shown that there is a “substantial risk” that the law will cause any of its members to suffer injury that is concrete, particularized, and imminent. “At most, AAM’s members state that they are engaged in patent infringement lawsuits involving pharmaceutical products and that they historically have settled such lawsuits, but they do not allege that they intend to enter into settlement agreements of the sort prohibited by A.B. 824,” the panel said.
Under the California law, any reverse payment patent settlements associated with Hatch-Waxman Act pharmaceutical litigation — or pay-for-delay settlements — where a generic-drug maker accepts anything of value or agrees not to compete for a period of time will be presumed to have anticompetitive effects.
About Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP focuses on complex civil litigation, including securities, antitrust, wage and hour and consumer class actions as well as shareholder derivative and merger and transactional litigation. The firm is headquartered in New York, and maintains offices in California, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
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About Kristyn Fields
Kristyn Fields' practice is focused on antitrust litigation. Kristyn is a Senior Associate in the firm's New York office.Prior to joining F&F, Kristyn interned for the Honorable Martin Marcus, New York Supreme Court, Bronx County. As well, Kristyn participated in the Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy Clinic providing pro bono counsel to emerging start-up companies. While at Brooklyn Law School, Kristyn served as an Executive Articles Editor of the Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law. Also, Kristyn was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.Kristyn earned her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School (2016). Kristyn earned her undergraduate degree from Boston College (B.A., Political Science, 2013).Kristyn is licensed to practice law in New York.
Kristyn Fields
Partner at Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
New York office
Tel: (212) 983-9330
Fax: (212) 983-9331
E-mail: kfields@faruqilaw.com
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