As the World Cup has captured the attention of viewers around the globe, so has the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when it comes to taking enforcement action against regulated companies around the globe. We are at the midpoint of 2026, and several patterns are emerging based on FDA’s activity so far. Based on our own weekly tracking and analysis, we are sharing some of the key themes that have bubbled up as priorities for regulated industries and their stakeholders to watch as 2026 progresses.
On January 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release announcing its fiscal year (FY) 2024 False Claims Act (FCA) recoveries and reported that settlements and judgments exceeded $2.9 billion in 2024—up from $2.68 billion in FY 2023.
Recoveries from entities in the health care and life sciences industries continue to represent the lion’s share of the dollars. However, health care recoveries have dropped year over year, and 2024 saw a decrease in the number of cases pursued by the DOJ on its own. What does the future hold as we look forward to a new administration? History might provide some interesting guidance.
Overview of the Statistics
While the 423 FCA cases filed by the DOJ in FY 2024 represented a marked decrease from the 505 FCA cases filed the previous year, FY 2024 saw the highest number of qui tam actions filed in history. FY 2024, coincidentally, ended on the same day (September 30, 2024) that a Florida judge ruled in U.S. ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates that the qui tam provisions of the FCA were unconstitutional.
Recent Updates
- The Battle Continues: No Appointments Clause Problem, BUT Eleventh Circuit Directs District Court to Consider Whether False Claims Act Qui Tam Provisions Violate Take Care, Vesting Clauses
- Bill Gates Gazes into the AI Crystal Ball: What are the Implications on the Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry
- 250+ Health Care Entities Targeted by HHS, DOJ Over Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
- Exclusion Authority (It’s Not Just the HHS-OIG Anymore …)
- The Sixth Circuit Revives the Medicare Waiver of Liability for Overpayments and Appeals