According to the law firm press release, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. ("Acorda" or the Company) is a biotechnology company with a focus on the identification, development, and commercialization of therapies for neurological disorders. On January 19, 2016, Acorda announced an agreement to acquire Biotie Therapies Corporation (“Biotie”) for approximately $363 million (the “Biotie Acquisition”). In its press release announcing the Biotie Acquisition, Acorda advised investors, inter alia, that the Company “will obtain worldwide rights to tozadenant, an oral adenosine A2a receptor antagonist currently in Phase 3 development in Parkinson’s disease (PD).” On April 18, 2016, Acorda acquired approximately 93% of the fully diluted capital stock of Biotie. In September 2016, Acorda completed the Biotie Acquisition.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operations and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) tozadenant entailed significant undisclosed safety risks; (ii) accordingly, the Company had overstated tozadenant’s approval prospects and commercial viability; (iii) for the foregoing reasons, the Company had likewise overstated the benefits of the Biotie Acquisition; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, Acorda’s shares traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period, and class members suffered significant losses and damages.

On November 15, 2017, Acorda disclosed the deaths of several patients in the Company’s final-stage studies of tozadenant. Acorda advised investors that it had paused new enrollment in the drug’s long-term safety studies, pending further discussion with the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

On this news, Acorda’s share price fell $11.20, or 39.72%, to close at $17.00 on November 15, 2017.

On February 2, 2018, the Court issued an Order appointing Lead Plaintiff and Counsel. On March 9, Lead Plaintiff filed a Notice voluntarily dismissing this action. The Court granted an Order of Dismissal without prejudice on March 13.