Biotech investor sues Boston Globe’s STAT

Sam Isaly, the biotech investor who for years led OrbiMed Advisors until leaving the firm over sexual harassment claims, is suing health care news site STAT for reporting about his behavior, reports Michelle Cortez and Jeff Feeley of Bloomberg News.

Cortez and Feeley write, “In a lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan federal court, Isaly sued Boston Globe Media Partners LLP as well as the reporter on the story, Damian Garde, for defamation. Garde works for Stat, a online outlet owned by the Globe that published a December 2017 article in which women who worked at the fund alleged Isaly harassed them.

“Isaly is seeking $20 million in damages. He and his attorney declined to comment on the lawsuit.

“Stat Executive Editor Rick Berke said, ‘Our coverage of Mr. Isaly and OrbiMed has been meticulous and fair-minded and we stand by it.’ Garde declined to comment.

“The Stat story alleged that Isaly had sexually harassed multiple women at his firm’s office and created a ‘toxic environment,’ including telling lewd jokes and showing pornography. The story was based on interviews with multiple people who had previously worked at OrbiMed, including four women who said they repeatedly complained about Isaly’s behavior.”

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