Merck Demands Gilead Pay $3B-Plus in Hep C Royalties

A compound in Gilead’s Sovaldi and Harvoni was found by a judge last month to have infringed Merck’s patents

Gilead Sciences Inc., which manufactures a drug to cure hepatitis C, is fighting a demand by Merck & Co. for more than $3 billion in a patent dispute, according to a Bloomberg report.

A compound in Gilead’s blockbuster drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni was found by a judge recently to have infringed Merck’s patents, the article said. The next step is for a jury to decide whether those patents are still valid, and if so, how much Gilead has to pay Merck in royalties. Read the full story