Sidley Secures Landmark FCA Defense Victory for Novo Nordisk

Sidley won a full defense verdict for Novo Nordisk on November 7, 2025, following a three-week False Claims Act (FCA) jury trial in federal court in Tacoma, Washington. This marks the first-ever pharmaceutical defense verdict in an FCA jury trial.

The plaintiffs, a former company doctor and the State of Washington argued that patient assistance benefits and relationships with key physicians violated the federal and state Anti-Kickback Statutes, and that the company promoted off-label uses of its hemophilia drug NovoSeven. On those bases, plaintiffs alleged Novo Nordisk caused the submission of allegedly fraudulent government claims to the federal healthcare programs. After less than four hours of deliberation, the jury reached its verdict, clearing the company on six counts arising under the federal and state False Claims Acts and state Fraudulent Practices Act.

Sidley’s multi-disciplinary FCA, healthcare regulatory, and trial litigation teams worked on this case for nearly a decade from the initial investigation defense, successfully convincing the United States and all states, other than the State of Washington, to decline to pursue the matter before the case proceeded to litigation.

The team was led by Global Life Sciences partners Jaime Jones and Jennifer Saulino and includes Mark Guerrera, Jaime Simon, Matt Bergs, Joe LoCascio, Elizabeth Ertle, Meredith Jalali, Joe McNally, Naomi Igra, and Tyler VanderMolen. The Sidley team also partnered with John Wolfe and Aaron Brecher of Orrick.