Teva Settles DOJ’s Kickback, Price-Fixing Charges For $450 Million

Reuters: Teva To Pay $450 Million To Resolve US Kickback, Price-Fixing Cases
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, opens new tab has agreed to pay $450 million to resolve allegations it used charities that help cover Medicare patients' out-of-pocket drug costs as a means to pay kickbacks to boost sales of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone and conspired to fix prices for generic drugs. The two settlements announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday included one, opens new tab for $425 million resolving a lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston in 2020 as part of an industry-wide probe of drugmakers' financial support of patient assistance charities. (Raymond, 10/10)

Stat: As Eli Lilly, Compounders Battle Over Weight Loss Drugs, Patients May Lose Out
There’s a war brewing over blockbuster weight loss medications — and patients are now getting caught in the crossfire. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration declared an end to the shortage of Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for obesity. The move was a clear warning to compounders that they can no longer make copycat versions of the drugs — a process that is only permitted when the medications are on an official agency shortage list. (Chen, 10/11)

Reuters: Bayer Must Pay $78 Million In Latest Roundup Cancer Trial, Jury Finds
Bayer (BAYGn.DE) must pay $78 million to a Pennsylvania man who said he got cancer from using the company's Roundup weedkiller, a state court jury in Philadelphia found on Thursday. The verdict follows previous consecutive victories for Bayer in that court. The company had won 14 of the previous 20 trials over Roundup, though it has been hit with several massive verdicts in the litigation, including last November for $1.56 billion, later reduced to $611 million, and one in January for $2.25 billion, later reduced to $400 million. (Pierson, 10/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Activist Accuses Pfizer Of Pressuring Former Executives
The fight between Starboard Value and drug giant Pfizer took an unusual, bitter turn Thursday. Hours after two former top Pfizer executives said they would no longer participate in Starboard’s activist campaign, the investor accused the drugmaker of pressuring the executives to remain loyal to their longtime employer. (Hopkins and Thomas, 10/10)

Reuters: Sanofi In Talks To Sell 50% Stake In Consumer Health Business To CD&R
Sanofi has entered into discussions with U.S. private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice to sell a controlling 50% stake in its consumer health business Opella, the French pharmaceutical group said on Friday. The announcement confirms an earlier Reuters report that it was closing in on a sale estimated at around 15 billion euros ($16.41 billion). Sanofi did not disclose any financial details of the potential deal and said further updates would be provided in due course. (10/11)

In other news —

Modern Healthcare: Oak Street Health Expansion To Continue Amid CVS Review
CVS Health is moving ahead with expansion plans for Oak Street Health, even as the company reportedly considers a restructuring in the coming months. CVS is conducting a strategic review, according to media reports citing people familiar with the matter, and is weighing options for separating some of the company’s businesses, which include its retail pharmacy, insurance arm Aetna, pharmacy benefit manager CVS Caremark and primary care provider Oak Street. (Hudson, 10/10)

Reuters: J&J Talc Bankruptcy Stays In Texas Despite 'Forum-Shopping' Opposition
A Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) subsidiary can pursue its third attempt to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc products caused cancer in a federal bankruptcy court in Texas, a judge ruled on Thursday, allowing the company to avoid a venue that shot down its two previous efforts. (Knauth, 10/11)

Reuters: Judge Slashes $185 Mln Award For Law Firm Quinn Emanuel In US Healthcare Case
A U.S. judge in Washington, D.C., on Thursday cut in half a $185 million legal fee payout for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, awarding the law firm $92.4 million for its work on a multibillion-dollar federal healthcare insurance case. Judge Kathryn Davis of the U.S. Federal Claims Court said the reduced amount was a reasonable reward for Quinn Emanuel, a top U.S. business litigation firm. Quinn was awarded $185 million for its work on the case in 2021, but a federal appeals court last year struck down the award as excessive and ordered Davis to reconsider it. (Scarcella, 10/11)

Modern Healthcare: Suki Raises $70M From Hedosophia, Venrock, March Capital, Others
Suki, an ambient artificial intelligence documentation vendor, received $70 million in a Series D funding round, the company said Thursday. The round was a traditional venture capital investment from private equity firm Hedosophia with participation from venture capital firms Venrock, March Capital, Flare Capital, Breyer Capital and inHealth Ventures. (Perna, 10/10)