In a huge blow to Gilead Sciences, a federal jury ordered the company to pay $2.54 billion to Merck in order to resolve a long-running patent dispute concerning its Sovaldi and Harvoni hepatitis C treatments, which have been blockbuster sellers.
The verdict is the latest twist in a heated battle between the two drug giants over hepatitis C patents, which have proven extremely lucrative over the last few years. Since its launch three years ago, Sovaldi has generated more than $19 billion in sales for Gilead, while Harvoni, which is an enhanced version of its predecessor, has notched more than $23 billion since becoming available in 2014.
The litigation, however, has a complicated backstory that involves patents, high-stakes pharmaceutical acquisitions, and a touch of old-fashioned rivalry between scientists.
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It may be complicated how HVC cures ended up the highest costing drug to consumers. But it’s simple, really. GREED. Over $1K per tablet, $90,000.00 for curative medicine up to 12 wks. Sufferers were left in the cold. Only an elite or extremely lucky people who had adequate ins. coverage could afford to benefit from the life saving medicine. This special group, we’re just a small percentage of those in need. Skyrocketing costs for medicare/medicade to cover those on Social Security. Driving the US debt to highest level ever. Social Security is already a nightmare to maintain entitlement for our future generations. It has a very short life span at the current state. Some thing politicians already Don’t know how to fix. And the incoming administration does not exude a great deal of confidence. 2017, indeed, appears to be in for a chaotic, rocky, start. We may be in for a historic decline of the place America rates, and a drastic collapse which will be unprecedented in this young countries short history. There is no guarantee of our power as a nation. Something most complainers do not realize. All the blind confidence in a man of no apparent character. The one individual who knows more than our government experts in all categories. Including Generals, and our collective intelligence community. Berating our own president & anybody associated with him. Labels our current administration as incompetent. Has compiled a who’s who of billionaires, and millionaires, with the collective moral code, and character of the lowest level imaginable. Really, since when did one’s bottom line qualify people as patriotic, or measure there ability to become public servants? Does character and moral values, beliefs, and capacity for passionate drive to benefit others, being selfless, account for anything? It would appear not to help evaluate important presidential appointees. This only qualifier is one’s own apparent success.
Yes, the pharmaceutical industry, is just a precursor of what being an American is all about. Now we hand the reigns to the most corrupt, ill-willed individuals in the free world. I wonder what Germans were thinking when empowering Hitler, maybe tired of the lame government officials of the times. Let an outsider give it a try. What do we have to lose? I propose they were disgruntled with their politicians, and just felt desperate to get outsiders in place of typical politicians. Make them a world power again. To be “Great again. “
A cogent post – now pardon me while I go draw a flowchart of who told what when/ where….
Here here, Observer 079. This article started off promising, then rambled on &on about small pharmaceutical companies getting bought by the biggest pharmaceutical companies. Along with the purchase came their pending law suites regarding Harvoni. But, it never explains who most benefited, or who really won the litigation. The headline reports Merck awarded $2.54 Billion U.S. But the article just barely scratched the surface as to who was really awarded. It began an incomprehensible rant about prior years, like 4-5 years ago. I’m miffed as to who did what, where, or to whom. The drugs have been the highest costing medicine’s in history. We should have been given more insight as to who really benefitted from the incurable HPC population. Ultimately, the pharmaceutical giants, sick patients, not so much.