SHCR - Bragar Eagel & Squire P.C. Reminds Investors That Class Action Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against QuidelOrtho Perion Doximity and Sharecare and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm | Benzinga
NEW YORK, May 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, reminds investors that class actions have been commenced on behalf of stockholders of QuidelOrtho Corporation (NASDAQ:QDEL), Perion Network Ltd. (NASDAQ:PERI), Doximity, Inc. (NYSE:DOCS), and Sharecare, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHCR). Stockholders have until the deadlines below to petition the court to serve as lead plaintiff. Additional information about each case can be found at the link provided.
QuidelOrtho Corporation (NASDAQ:QDEL)
Class Period: February 18, 2022 - April 1, 2024 (Common Stock Only)
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 11, 2024
QuidelOrtho provides tests for the detection and diagnosis of various respiratory diseases and other medical conditions. The Company's respiratory business has historically been tied to the sale of seasonal flu tests and more recently to COVID-19 detection tests. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has generated a significant portion of its revenue through the sale of high-margin COVID-19 tests to government customers, healthcare providers (through its authorized distributors), and large retail pharmacy chains. QuidelOrtho manufactures respiratory tests under various brands, including QuickVue, Sofia, and Savanna.
In December 2022, the Company announced that it had agreed to merge with Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Holdings plc ("Ortho"). The merger closed in May 2022, shortly after the start of the Class Period. Meanwhile, COVID-19 was transitioning from pandemic to "endemic" status (i.e., COVID-19 infections no longer growing exponentially). Despite COVID-19 transitioning into an endemic, Defendants assured investors that it was well positioned to maintain a stable high margin revenue stream from its respiratory business. Among other strategies, the Company aimed to launch its "next flagship product," a new test called the Savanna Respiratory Viral Panel-4 (the "Savanna RVP4 Test," which tests for COVID-19 along with other respiratory conditions) by utilizing Ortho's commercial distribution network. During the Class Period, the Savanna RVP4 Test was not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") to be marketed or sold in the United States. Therefore, investors closely monitored the Company's progress in getting the Savanna RVP4 Test approved.
According to the filed complaint, throughout the Class Period, Defendants misled investors by making statements that were false and misleading when made because they knew or deliberately disregarded and failed to disclose the following adverse facts about QuidelOrtho's business, operations, and prospects: (a) that QuidelOrtho sold more COVID-19 tests to its distributors and pharmacy chain customers than they could resell to healthcare providers and end customers; (b) that excess inventories of COVID-19 tests existed throughout the supply chain; (c) that, as a result of (a)-(b), QuidelOrtho's distributors and pharmacy chain customers were poised to significantly reduce their COVID-19 test orders; (d) that undisclosed problems created a heightened risk that the Savanna RVP4 Test would experience a delayed commercial launch in the United States; and (e) that, as a result of (a)-(d), Defendants lacked a reasonable basis for their positive statements about QuidelOrtho's business, financials, and growth trajectory.
The filed complaint further alleges that the truth began to emerge on February 13, 2024, when QuidelOrtho reported underwhelming results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023. Among other things, the Company's Adjusted Earnings Per Share was 46% below the midpoint of Wall Street analysts' expectations. This miss was largely attributed to lower COVID-19 revenues during the quarter due to distributor destocking. QuidelOrtho also lowered its annual endemic COVID-19 revenue forecast from the range of $200-$400 million ...