Merck Wins the Largest Verdict in U.S History
Patent infringement battle between Merck and Gilead over Gilead's blockbuster hepatitis C drug came to a a verdict when the jury ordered Gilead to pay $2.54 billion to Merck, which is equivalent to 10% royalties on Harvoni and Sovaldi. This is the largest verdict in a patent infringement case in the U.S. However, a Gilead spokeswoman informed that the company will appeal the verdict.
Harvoni and Sovaldi brought in $20 billion in sales in 2015 while curing a virus that once was incurable. On the other hand, Merck's hep C drug Zepatier has made $326 million. However, with the hep C market quickly fading due to many patients being cured, it is a longer a long-term market opportunity. With the recent ruling, Merck could still reap the benefit of Harvoni and Sovaldi heyday.
Source: http://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/merck-snags-record-2-54b-hep-c-patent-verdict-against-gilead