• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
HealthGlobal 500

Merck Won a Mammoth $2.5 Billion from Gilead After Its Hepatitis C Drug Patent Suit

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 15, 2016, 10:24 PM ET
Hepatitis C drug can cure, if patients can get it
Harvoni is one of the new breakthrough drugs for Hepatitis C. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images)Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Merck (MERCK-CO-INC) on Thursday was awarded $2.54 billion in royalties by a federal jury in a patent lawsuit against Gilead (GILD) 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.

Merck’s stock rose slightly to $63 in late trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Gilead‘s shares fell 2 percent to $74.06 on the Nasdaq.

Harvoni and Sovaldi have drawn attention for their breakthrough success in curing hepatitis C in more than 90 percent of patients, and for their high cost.

Harvoni’s list price is $1,125 per pill and $94,500 for a 12-week regimen. Foster City, California-based Gilead, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies, made nearly $20 billion on the two drugs in 2015.

The jury’s award was based on a 10 percent royalty rate from the sales of both drugs through August.

The patent upheld by the jury was originally issued to Idenix Pharmaceuticals, a company Merck bought in 2014. Idenix brought the patent lawsuit against Gilead in 2013 in an effort to block the launch of Sovaldi, which was approved by federal regulators in December of that year.

Harvoni, which combines Sovaldi’s active ingredient, sofosbuvir, with another drug, was approved in October 2014.

For more on health, watch this video:

Merck, which sells its own hepatitis C drug, Zepatier, previously won a $200 million jury verdict in March in a separate patent infringement case against Gilead over hepatitis C drugs.

But in June, a federal judge in San Jose, California overturned the verdict after finding that Merck engaged in a pattern of unethical conduct, including lying under oath. Merck is currently appealing that ruling.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Health

Sad-looking young woman
EconomyGen Z
The brutal math behind Gen Z’s lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational ‘spending hangover’
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
17 hours ago
t
Healthaddiction
Trump fired the team tracking teen addiction. The data improved anyway
By Devi Shastri and The Associated PressJuly 28, 2026
19 hours ago
c
HealthClinton Foundation
The Clinton Foundation thinks red states can adopt ‘practical, evidence-based solutions’ from blue states
By Glenn Gamboa and The Associated PressJuly 28, 2026
20 hours ago
Photo of McCall McPherson
SuccessMost Powerful Women
This CEO was bedridden 16 hours a day. She turned her own misdiagnosis into a self-funded, multimillion-dollar thyroid clinic
By Sydney LakeJuly 28, 2026
24 hours ago
A fan is pointed towards a classroom full of students in a school.
Environmentschools
Rising temperatures are putting students at risk of heat-related illnesses, and schools are scrambling to adapt
By The Conversation, Allison Poulos and Jennifer VanosJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
A small Brown-eared Bulbul bird perches on a branch in a tree.
HealthHealth
Sit back and watch the birds—your health will thank you, data shows
By The Conversation and Jennifer G. AndrewsJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
Law
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026
10 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
20 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
4 days ago
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
Economy
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
17 hours ago
No. 1 on the Fortune Global 500: Amazon's Jeff Bezos on how his garage startup became the largest company in the world by revenue
Magazine
No. 1 on the Fortune Global 500: Amazon's Jeff Bezos on how his garage startup became the largest company in the world by revenue
By Kristin StollerJuly 28, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.