Verification date: October 31, 2026. This is a procedural update to the avacopan case. The clinical research and evidence analysis in the original articles should still be understood according to their respective stated source dates.
There has been a clear development in the case of avacopan, marketed as Tavneos: the $69 million securities settlement has received final court approval, but it cannot yet be reported that “shareholders have received compensation.”
What did the court approve?
On October 29, 2026, the US District Court for the Northern District of California held a settlement approval hearing and entered final judgment approving the settlement in securities case 4:21-cv-03343-JST. The court also separately approved the plan of allocation for the net settlement fund, as well as attorneys' fees and litigation expenses.[1,2]
The judgment concerns securities litigation brought by investors. It retains a no-admission-of-liability provision. It therefore cannot be described as a court finding that the clinical trial was falsified, and approval of the settlement cannot be treated as an endorsement of the drug's efficacy.[1]
Money in escrow is not money already paid to shareholders
Court documents confirm that the $69 million has been deposited in escrow. The court-authorized website still states that eligible investors will be paid only after all claims have been processed. No specific payment date had been announced as of this verification.[2,3]
Three milestones must therefore be distinguished: reaching a settlement, obtaining final court approval, and investors actually receiving payment. The first two have been verified, as has the deposit of funds in escrow. Completion of distribution has not. The subsequent status of any new appeals and of the settlement becoming finally effective also needs further verification.
This was not an FDA withdrawal hearing
The October 29 hearing concerned the securities settlement. This review did not verify an FDA decision formally granting a hearing, a hearing date, or a final order withdrawing approval.
The FDA's public page still describes the US process as a proposal by CDER to withdraw approval. It states that Tavneos remains on the market until the company voluntarily withdraws it or the FDA commissioner orders withdrawal. The FDA also recommends that physicians discuss with patients whether to use or continue using it, along with other available treatment options.[4]
Approval of the securities settlement does not itself determine whether the drug can remain on sale, nor does it establish new arrangements for US patients to switch treatments.
Patients' losses remain a separate issue to follow
This review found no verifiable new patient-injury case number, patient-compensation judgment, DOJ or SEC enforcement announcement concerning the relevant data issues, or new study sufficient to change the benefit-risk assessment. That is the limit of this review of public sources. It does not establish that there are no individual lawsuits, nonpublic investigations, or private resolutions.
The settlement concerns stock-related claims by a specified group of investors; it is not a patient-injury compensation fund. Whether patients were harmed by the drug, whether the drug caused an individual's loss, and who should bear responsibility each require their own evidence and procedures.
The accurate update to the original articles is therefore: the investor securities settlement has received final court approval, while distribution of compensation awaits completion of the required procedures. Compensation for patient injuries, accountability for trial-data issues, and whether US approval is ultimately withdrawn remain separate matters to track.
The handling of investment losses has advanced to the implementation stage. The patient-loss and drug-regulatory processes have not reached corresponding conclusions. These are the questions Before the Conclusion will continue to pursue.
Continue reading
- Avacopan: why are patients still taking a drug whose trial had problems?
- The full evidence analysis: if a drug may be useful, why does it still face withdrawal?
Direct sources
- US District Court for the Northern District of California: October 29, 2026 final judgment approving the settlement, Document 380. Final approval, disposition of claims, and the no-admission-of-liability provision.
- The same court: October 29, 2026 order awarding attorneys' fees and litigation expenses, Document 378. Confirms that the settlement funds are in escrow. The court-authorized document index separately lists the allocation-plan order.
- Court-authorized ChemoCentryx securities settlement website. Checked for procedures and payment information following final approval.
- FDA: CDER proposes to withdraw approval of Tavneos. The proposed US withdrawal process, availability during that process, and advice on physician-patient discussions. Direct access to public docket FDA-2026-N-1321 was limited during this review. Failure to retrieve new documents is therefore not described as FDA confirmation that no new action has occurred.
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