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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments an Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Legal Proceedings
On January 20, 2021, Natera, Inc. filed a patent infringement complaint against the Company’s subsidiary Inivata Limited and its subsidiary Inivata, Inc. in U.S. District Court for the district of Delaware, alleging Inivata’s InVisionFirst®-Lung cancer diagnostic test of infringing two patents. Natera then filed a second patent infringement complaint on December 20, 2022 against Inivata Limited and Inivata, Inc. alleging that RaDaR® minimal residual disease test infringes one patent. The case is in discovery and the jury trial has been scheduled for October 6, 2025. On March 6, 2024, the parties stipulated to stay both Delaware cases until the North Carolina litigation is resolved. On March 7, 2024, the district court judge in Delaware ordered the cases stayed.
On July 28, 2023, Natera filed a complaint in the Middle District of North Carolina alleging NeoGenomics' RaDaR test infringes on two patents. On July 31, 2023, Natera moved for a preliminary injunction. On December 27, 2023, the district court issued a preliminary injunction against RaDaR®. Natera posted a $10 million bond with the court on January 12, 2024. The court's initial determination was that Natera, Inc. demonstrated a likelihood that products using RaDaR® technology infringe one Natera, Inc. patent. The order specifically allows patients already using RaDaR® to continue their use. In addition, the order explicitly allows research projects and studies that are in progress, as well as clinical trials that are in progress or have been approved, to continue. On December 28, 2023, NeoGenomics appealed the preliminary injunction to the Federal Circuit. The appeal was docketed at the Federal Circuit on January 4, 2024. On February 5, 2024, NeoGenomics filed an Emergency Motion to Stay the Preliminary Injunction pending Appeal and a Motion to Expedite the appeal. The Federal Circuit granted expedited briefing of the appeal and heard oral arguments on March 29, 2024. A decision on the appeal has not yet been issued. The Company intends to vigorously pursue its appeal of the preliminary injunction. The infringement case is in discovery and the jury trial has been scheduled for March 10, 2025. The Company has filed two inter partes review petitions before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) in the United States Patent and Trademark Office seeking a determination that the two patents asserted against in the North Carolina action are unpatentable in view of prior art. The PTAB has not yet determined whether to institute trial in either of the inter partes review cases. The Company believes that it has good and substantial defenses to the claims alleged in these suits, but there is no guarantee that the Company will prevail. At the time of filing the outcome of these matters is not estimable or probable.
On December 16, 2022, a purported shareholder class action captioned Daniel Goldenberg v. NeoGenomics, Inc., Douglas VanOort, Mark Mallon, Kathryn McKenzie, and William Bonello was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, naming the Company and certain of the Company’s current and former officers as defendants. This lawsuit was filed by a stockholder who claims to be suing on behalf of anyone who purchased or otherwise acquired the Company’s securities between February 27, 2020 and April 26, 2022. The lawsuit alleges that material misrepresentations and/or omissions of material fact were made in the Company’s public disclosures in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The alleged improper disclosures relate to statements regarding the Company’s menu of tests, business operations and compliance with health care laws and regulations. The plaintiff seeks unspecified monetary damages on behalf of the putative class and an award of costs and expenses, including attorney’s fees and expert fees. On April 27, 2023, a shareholder of the Company filed a shareholder derivative action on behalf of the Company captioned Puskarich v. VanOort, et al. in Clark County Nevada, naming certain of the Company’s current and former officers and directors as defendants. The allegations are substantially similar to the allegations asserted in the Goldenberg action. Substantially similar shareholder derivative actions were subsequently filed in Lee County, Florida and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Wong v. VanOort, et al. and Mellema v. VanOort, et al., respectively. The Company believes that it has valid defenses to the claims alleged in the lawsuits, but there is no guarantee that the Company will prevail. At the time of filing the outcome of these matters are not estimable or probable.
Regulatory Matter
With the assistance of outside counsel, the Company voluntarily conducted an internal investigation that focused on the compliance of certain consulting and service agreements with federal healthcare laws and regulations, including those relating to fraud, waste and abuse. Based on this internal investigation, the Company voluntarily notified the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“OIG”) of the Company’s internal investigation in November 2021. The Company’s interactions with regulatory authorities and the Company’s related review of this matter are ongoing. The
Company has a reserve of $11.2 million in other long-term liabilities as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 on the Consolidated Balance Sheets for potential damages and liabilities primarily associated with the federal healthcare program revenue received by the Company in connection with the agreements at issue that were identified during the course of this internal investigation. This reserve reflects management’s best estimate of the minimum probable loss associated with this matter. As a result of the internal investigation and ongoing interactions with regulatory authorities, the Company may accrue additional reserves for any related potential damages and liabilities arising out of this matter. The Company was notified on June 30, 2022, that the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) will be participating in the investigation of this matter. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the duration, scope, result or related costs associated with any further investigation, including by the OIG, DOJ, or any other governmental authority, or what penalties or remedial actions they may seek. Accordingly, at this time, the Company is unable to estimate a range of possible loss in excess of the amount reserved. Any determination that the Company’s operations or activities are not in compliance with existing laws or regulations, however, could result in the imposition of civil or criminal fines, penalties, disgorgement, restitution, equitable relief, exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs or other losses or conduct restrictions, which could be material to the Company’s financial results or business operations.