Cases & Deals

Idenix wins $2.54 billion jury verdict in Gilead patent dispute involving hepatitis C drugs

Client(s) Idenix Pharmaceuticals LLC

After a nine day trial and less than two hours of jury deliberation, Jones Day, on behalf of Idenix Pharmaceuticals LLC (a subsidiary of Merck & Co.), won the largest patent infringement verdict in U.S. history to date, involving a multi-billion dollar patent dispute with Gilead Sciences Inc. over sofosbuvir, the active ingredient in Gilead’s hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi® and Harvoni®. Idenix proved that use of these drugs infringes Idenix's U.S. Patent No. 7,608,597, directed to methods for the treatment of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. On December 15, 2016, a federal jury in Delaware concluded that Gilead willfully infringed the patent and awarded Idenix Pharmaceuticals $2.54 billion in damages as compensation for infringing sales of sofosbuvir-based medicines through August 2016.

The Jones Day team included Stephanie E. Parker, Calvin P. Griffith, Ryan B. McCrum, Anthony M. Insogna, Jennifer Swize, John D. Kinton, John M. Michalik, and Bradley W. Harrison.

Idenix Pharmaceuticals LLC v. Gilead Sciences, Inc., Case No. 1:13-cv-01987 (D. Del.) (Judge Stark)