Shareholder Representative Services, LLC v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CourtCourt of Chancery of Delaware
DecidedMay 27, 2026
DocketC.A. No. 2020-1069-MTZ
StatusPublished

This text of Shareholder Representative Services, LLC v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Shareholder Representative Services, LLC v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Chancery of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shareholder Representative Services, LLC v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Del. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE MORGAN T. ZURN LEONARD L. WILLIAMS JUSTICE CENTER VICE CHANCELLOR 500 N. KING STREET, SUITE 11400 WILMINGTON, DELAWARE 19801-3734

May 27, 2026

Michael A. Barlow, Esquire David E. Wilks, Esquire Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP Wilks Law, LLC 500 Delaware Avenue, Suite 220 4250 Lancaster Pike, Suite 200 Wilmington, DE 19801 Wilmington, DE 19805

RE: Shareholder Representative Services, LLC v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., C.A. No. 2020-1069-MTZ

Dear Counsel:

I write to resolve your clients’ claims regarding problems with drug materials

Alexion acquired when it acquired Syntimmune.1 This letter is fairly characterized

as inside baseball. After trial, and with assistance from a court-appointed expert, I

1 Readers seeking more background, defined terms, and citation formats can refer to S’holder Representative Servs. LLC v. Alexion Pharms., Inc., 2024 WL 4052343 (Del. Ch. Sept. 5, 2024) [hereinafter “Alexion I”]. This letter assumes familiarity with that opinion. Citations in the form “Sharpnack Rep.” refer to the Expert Report of Robert Sharpnack, available at D.I. 414. Citations in the form “DB Exp. __” refer to Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Brief Regarding the Conclusions of the D.R.E. 706 Expert Robert Sharpnack, available at D.I. 425. Citations in the form “PB Exp. __” refer to Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant’s Brief Regarding the Opinions and Testimony of Court-Appointed D.R.E. 706 Expert Robert Sharpnack, available at D.I. 426. Citations in the form “PB Exp. Ex. __” refer to the exhibits to the Transmittal Affidavit of Michael A. Barlow in Support of Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant's Brief Regarding the Opinions and Testimony of Court-Appointed D.R.E. 706 Expert Robert Sharpnack, available at D.I. 426. Citations in the form “Sharpnack Dep.” refer to the Deposition of Bob Sharpnack available at D.I. 426 Ex. 1. S’holder Representative Servs. LLC v. Alexion Pharms., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-1069-MTZ May 27, 2026 Page 2 of 65

have concluded that Alexion proved by the preponderance of the evidence that

Syntimmune breached its representation about the manufacture of those drug

materials, and that Alexion is entitled to approximately $11 million in

indemnification.

Before the Merger, Syntimmune was attempting to develop a monoclonal

antibody into a clinical drug. That work requires drug substance, meaning the active

ingredient intended to provide a therapeutic effect, and drug product, meaning the

final product in dosage form as in a tablet, capsule, or solution.2 Drug substance is

a necessary component of drug product.

When Alexion bought Syntimmune, Alexion also bought Syntimmune’s drug

product and drug substance on hand and in its manufacturing pipeline.3 Syntimmune

2 21 C.F.R. § 314.3(b). The FDA defines a “[d]rug product” as “a finished dosage form, for example, tablet, capsule, or solution, that contains a drug substance, generally, but not necessarily, in association with one or more other ingredients.” Id. And it defines “[d]rug substance” as “an active ingredient that is intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the human body.” Id; see 21 C.F.R. § 210.3(b)(4) (defining “[d]rug product as “a finished dosage form, for example, tablet, capsule, solution, etc., that contains an active drug ingredient generally, but not necessarily, in association with inactive ingredients. The term also includes a finished dosage form that does not contain an active ingredient but is intended to be used as a placebo.”). 3 S’holder Representative Servs., LLC v. Alexion Pharms., Inc., 2025 WL 1089166, at *5 (Del. Ch. Apr. 11, 2025) [hereinafter “Alexion II”] (“Alexion bought all of Syntimmune’s drug supply with the goal of rapid development through clinical trials. Alexion bought a promise that the supply would be compliant.”). S’holder Representative Servs. LLC v. Alexion Pharms., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-1069-MTZ May 27, 2026 Page 3 of 65

represented in Section 4.13 of the Merger Agreement that its “Product Candidates”

were and would continue to be manufactured “in compliance in all material respects”

with applicable federal law and regulations relating to current good manufacturing

practices (“cGMP”).4

Alexion claims drug product lots AJ8794A, AK3858, AF6404A and

AG3356A (each a “DP Lot,” and together the “DP Lots”), and drug substance lots

CMC-L-0125 and CMC-M-0009 (each a “DS Lot,” and together the “DS Lots,” and

with the DP Lots the “Acquired Lots”), were not manufactured in compliance with

cGMP.5 At closing, Alexion knew DP Lot AJ8794A was contaminated with a

particulate and could not be used.6 Shortly after closing, Alexion learned DS Lots

CMC-L-0125 and CMCM-0009 were under investigation due to ongoing issues.7

Alexion also learned DP Lot AK3858, which was intended to resupply clinical

trials,8 was contaminated with protein particles. That spurred investigations by

4 Merger Agr. § 4.13(a). 5 Alexion II, 2025 WL 1089166, at *1, n.42. 6 JX 722 at 3–4; JX 668 at 1–3, 5; JX 1191. 7 JX 784 at 11; JX 2846 at 2 (“Batch was not released by time of acquisition due to open QC investigation for spiked DNA recovery failure . . . potential presence of polyallylamine in DS”); JX 804 at 4, 13; JX 668 at 3 (noting CMC-L-0125 and CMCM-0009 “pending final release”). 8 JX 804 at 13, 16; JX 843 at 3, 10; Ledwith Tr. 1030–31. S’holder Representative Servs. LLC v. Alexion Pharms., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-1069-MTZ May 27, 2026 Page 4 of 65

Alexion and its manufacturers.9

In early 2019, Alexion learned of adverse events and infusion-related

reactions (“IRRs”) in a clinical trial dosed with DP Lot AG7907A.10 That trial was

paused; then all of Alexion’s clinical studies were paused pending an investigation

into the manufacture of the Acquired Lots.11 In March, Alexion’s investigation

revealed DP Lots AF6404 and AG7907 were unusable.12 Alexion’s investigation

found the DS Lots slated for release, and the DS Lots that produced the drug product

already in clinical use, were adulterated.13 The study with the IRRs was

terminated.14

9 JX 804 at 5; JX 817; JX 2846; JX 890; JX 1040; Ledwith Tr. 1030–31. 10 JX 1164 at 3, 78–80 (describing the four reported IRRs from clinical trial subjects in study SYNT001-104); JX 923 at 64 (noting the IRRs reported in trials SYNT001-104, SYNT001-103, and SYNT001-102). 11 JX 983 at 5–16 (noting trials SYNT001-104 and SYNT001-103 were already “closed out” and “GMT recommends to terminate Study 102 (WAIHA) as well”); JX 996 at 2; JX 1164 at 75. 12 JX 911 at 2 (noting DP Lots AF6404 and AG7907 “will not be used anymore” given recent infusion related reactions); JX 959 at 1 (noting “all studies were paused in 15 Feb [20]19 . . . AF6404 & AG7907 will be reconciled from the clinic”); JX 945 (“Because of the high HCP (host cell protein) contamination of the one DP lot we thought could potentially be re-released for use in Cohort 2 WAIHA, we will not be able to proceed with dosing more patients in the Ph 1b/2a trial.”); JX 996 at 1. 13 Ledwith Tr. 1038–40; see JX 996 at 16 (“HCP testing has demonstrated that the Cygnus 2nd generation kit used for release is not sensitive enough to detect HCP levels present in OS product.”). JX 945 at 1; JX 959 at 3; JX 1164 at 75 (“Due to the occurrence of the IRRs, this study 14

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Shareholder Representative Services, LLC v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shareholder-representative-services-llc-v-alexion-pharmaceuticals-inc-delch-2026.