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Women Wanted: Merck Faces Class Action In $250m Discrimination Case

 
• By Mandy Jackson

A handful of former female sales representatives suing Merck & Co. Inc. for gender discrimination, including an alleged bias against employees who took maternity leave, could become a very large group of women now that the lawsuit seeking $250m in damages has been granted conditional certification as a collective action under the Equal Pay Act (EPA).

US District Court Judge Michael Shipp in New Jersey issued a written opinion on April 27 that granted conditional class action status for Kelli Smith's 2013 lawsuit, which was amended in January 2014 to add four plaintiffs. (Also see "Merck slapped with $100M discrimination lawsuit" - Scrip, 10 May, 2013.) Both sides' attorneys must now negotiate the wording of a notice by May 27 that will give thousands of current and former female sales representatives about 60 days to opt in as a member of the class that's suing Merck for alleged systemic discrimination against women.

"We remain confident that this case lacks merit – this is a procedural step that is typical in the early...

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• By Dexter Jie Yan

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has proposed a new “growth tier” for the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, to reinstate the market’s listing standards for unprofitable firms.

BIO Notebook: Woodcock Calls For Doing The Right Thing, Dealmaking Remains Constrained

 
• By Mandy Jackson, Joseph Haas, and Sarah Karlin-Smith

Highlights from Day Four of the BIO International Convention include Woodcock offering practical advice on rare disease trials, the sorry state of dealmaking mid-year, Novartis discussing its approach to partnering, and Generate looking for funding to move into Phase III.

Syncona Looks To Go Private As Market Decline Deepens

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

While some are calling for Syncona to be wound up, the UK-based company believes many existing and new investors will back the creation of new private fund.