Mallinckrodt PLC announced that it is in discussions that could result in Chapter 11 proceedings in the near term, because of pressures related to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rebate ruling, opioid litigation, and other risks. We are lowering our issuer credit rating on Mallinckrodt one notch to 'CCC-' from 'CCC' and placing all ratings on CreditWatch with negative implications. We are also lowering the senior secured issue-level ratings to CCC+ from B- and the senior unsecured issue-level ratings to C from CC. The recovery ratings of '1' and '6', respectively, are unchanged. The downgrade and CreditWatch placement reflect our base-case scenario that Mallinckrodt will file for bankruptcy or negotiate a distressed exchange within the next six