Gilead, Merck infectious news
A federal jury ordered Gilead to pay Merck $2.5 billion in damages in an HCV patent infringement lawsuit. According to the jury's verdict, the damages are based on a 10% royalty rate for Gilead's U.S. sales for Sovaldi sofosbuvir and Harvoni ledipasvir/sofosbuvir through August 2016. Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed the suit in 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Merck acquired Idenix in 2014. In its complaint, Idenix alleged that Gilead's Sovaldi and Sovaldi-containing products infringe on its U.S. Patent No. 7,608,597, which covers methods of treating HCV infection using 2'-methyl nucleosides. Gilead said it will challenge the outcome "vigorously," and that Idenix "made no contribution and assumed none of the risk in the discovery and development of sofosbuvir and its metabolites." Merck said the judge presiding in the jury trial has discretion to increase the award up to threefold (see BioCentury, Sept. 9, 2013)...