This page is an archive. Its content may no longer be accurate and was last updated on the original publication date. It is intended for reference and as a historical record only. For hep C questions, call Help4Hep BC at 1-888-411-7578.
Merck & Co on Thursday was awarded $2.54 billion in royalties by a federal jury in a patent lawsuit against Gilead Sciences Inc over Gilead’s blockbuster hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni.
The jury in Delaware reached the verdict following a nearly two-week trial, finding that a patent acquired by Merck in 2014 on hepatitis C treatments was valid.
“The jury’s verdict upholds patent protections that are essential to the development of new medical treatments,” Merck said in a statement Thursday.
Gilead spokeswoman Michele Rest said the company disagreed with the verdict and would appeal it. She said it did not stop Gilead from continuing to sell its drugs.
Read more…http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gilead-sciences-merck-co-verdict-idUSKBN1442U9