Companies in the life sciences industry, including biotechnology, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals, have long been favorite targets of securities class actions, and 2018 was no exception. According to a recent report by Cornerstone, approximately 16 percent of the lawsuits filed in 2018 were against companies in the broader healthcare sector—a near-record percentage and double both the number filed in 2017 and the 15-year average. Most of the cases filed against life sciences companies alleged violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and SEC Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder; this represents almost one-quarter of all 10b-5 cases filed in 2018.

Click here to read the full article.