The question of whether an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm should enjoy the status of an inventor has been making the rounds in various nations, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has rejected the notion based on a plain reading of the statute. The court said that the statute is unambiguous in that only natural persons can claim inventorship, but the question will be appealed to the Supreme Court, which will have an opportunity to put this debate to rest.
Winding down its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 13 declined to hear appeals filed by Insys Therapeutics Inc. founder John Kapoor and former regional sales director Sunrise Lee.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled again on the appointments clause questions evolving from a patent dispute between Arthrex Inc. and Smith & Nephew Inc., this time in connection with a former acting director of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).
The EU initiated a dispute complaint with the World Trade Organization over China’s intellectual property (IP) enforcement allowing Chinese courts to block infringement litigation worldwide. The Feb. 18 complaint, posted by the WTO last week, takes issue with Chinese courts issuing global injunctions barring patent holders from asserting their rights through legal proceedings in other countries until the case is settled in China.
Drug companies won another round in their battle with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over how many contract pharmacies must be given the steep discounts dictated under the 340B drug pricing program aimed at helping public clinics and hospitals provide charity care.
As the U.S. FDA struggles to meet a massive court-ordered release of documents related to its approval of the Pfizer Inc.-Biontech SE COVID-19 vaccine, it could help itself by being more proactive in publicly releasing documents related to the approval and labeling of prescription drugs, according to a U.S. regulatory expert.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported Feb. 1 that it had recouped more than $5.6 billion in settlements in connection with False Claims Act litigation (FCA) in 2021, with $5 billion of that amount derived from action against the health care industry.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) reported Jan. 26 that it will investigate whether Alvotech Hf and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. misappropriated trade secrets when developing a potential interchangeable biosimilar to Abbvie Inc.’s mega-blockbuster, Humira (adalimumab).
Olga Torres, co-owner of Miami-based Unlimited Medical Research, pleaded guilty Jan. 12 to obstructing a 2017 FDA inspection in connection with an alleged scheme to falsify data in a clinical trial evaluating an asthma drug for children.
Be careful who you’re doing business with. That’s the warning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sent this week to multinational drug and device companies doing business in terrorist hot spots around the world. Reversing a lower court, the D.C. Circuit cleared the way Jan. 4 for 21 drug and device companies to potentially be held accountable for doing business with Jaysh al-Mahdi terrorists, operating through the Iraqi Ministry of Health, who injured or killed hundreds of U.S. troops and civilians in Iraq.