Important Hearing Tomorrow Morning, In Delaware US District Court -- For Gilead And Merck: Patent Spats

I am in a bit of a hurry now -- on a train -- but tomorrow's hearing in Delaware, before the very able Judge Stark portends to set the tone for the rest of the East Coast chapter of the patent fights over Gilead's Hep C mega blockbusters Harvoni^® and Solvaldi^®.

I expect that the embarrassing loss of a $200 million jury damage award, in California's Northern District, will ultimately mean that Merck must settle here -- but we shall see. Back with more when I have some free time, this afternoon:

It is hard to imagine that some of the California results will not have already spilled over, into the discovery spats now underway, in Delaware. Moreover, it seems that there is a reasonably high probability that Gilead's motion for summary judgement might be granted, at Item (3) below (after a few weeks reflection, and time to prepare a well-supported opinion, in Judge Stark's chambers) -- based on what was learned in California. We shall, as ever, see:

. . . .ORAL ORDER:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that with respect to the hearing tomorrow, July 26:

(i) the parties shall be prepared to address, all pending motions, as well as the issues raised in the recent status letters to the Court;

(ii) the order in which matters will be argued is as follows:

(1) Idenix motion to strike reports of Dr. Secrist;

(2) Idenix motion to strike good faith defense;

(3) Gilead motion for summary judgment;

(4) Idenix motion to preclude;

(5) Gilead motion to preclude;

(6) status of attorney-client privilege issues; and

(7) trial scheduling; and

(iii) each side will be allocated up to ninety (90) minutes for its argument.

ORDERED by Judge Leonard P. Stark on 7/25/16. . . .

Now you know -- with more analysis, as time permits. Big grins!