Teva Pharmaceuticals International GmbH v. Eli Lilly and Company

District Court, D. Massachusetts·Decided September 26, 2023·No. 1:18-cv-12029·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

TEVA PHARMACEUTICALS * INTERNATIONAL GMBH and TEVA * PHARMACEUTICALS USA, INC., * * Plaintiffs, * * Civil Action No. 18-cv-12029-ADB v. * * ELI LILLY AND COMPANY, * * Defendant. *

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

BURROUGHS, D.J. Plaintiffs Teva Pharmaceuticals International GmbH and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (collectively, “Teva” or “Plaintiff”) and Defendant Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly” or “Defendant”), competing pharmaceutical companies, have both developed antibodies capable of treating headache disorders associated with calcitonin gene-related peptide (“CGRP”). In the instant case, Teva alleged that Lilly induced infringement and contributorily and willfully infringed three of its patents (the “Patents-in-Suit” or “Patents”). [ECF No. 593 (Verdict) at 2– 4]. Lilly, in turn, alleged that the Patents-in-Suit are invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 112 for lack of written description and enablement. [Id. at 5–6]. From October 18, 2022 through November 9, 2022, the parties presented their cases to a jury, which returned a verdict in favor of Teva and awarded $90,000,000 in lost profits damages, $36,740,000 (or 5%) in reasonable royalty damages, and $49,800,000 in future lost profits damages. [Id. at 7–9]. Now pending before the Court is Lilly’s motion for judgement as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(b) and/or for a new trial under Rule 59. [ECF No. 649]. For the reasons set forth below, Lilly’s motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. I. STANDARD OF REVIEW Defendant’s Rule 50 motion for judgment as a matter of law is based on the contention that the evidence was not sufficient to support the jury’s verdict. [ECF No. 650 at 8–9]. “A party seeking to overturn a jury verdict faces an uphill battle.” Marcano Rivera v. Turabo Med.

Ctr. P’ship, 415 F.3d 162, 167 (1st Cir. 2005). “Courts may only grant a judgment contravening a jury’s determination when the evidence points so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of the moving party that no reasonable jury could have returned a verdict adverse to that party.” Id. (quoting Rivera Castillo v. Autokirey, Inc., 379 F.3d 4, 9 (1st Cir. 2004)). In evaluating a motion for judgment as a matter of law, the Court must consider “the evidence presented to the jury, and all reasonable inferences that may be drawn from such evidence, in the light most favorable to the jury verdict.” Osorio v. One World Techs. Inc., 659 F.3d 81, 84 (1st Cir. 2011) (quoting Granfield v. CSX Transp., Inc., 597 F.3d 474, 482 (1st Cir. 2010)). In contrast, the Court’s power to grant a Rule 59 motion for a new trial “is much broader than its power to grant a [motion for judgment as a matter of law].” Jennings v. Jones, 587 F.3d

430, 436 (1st Cir. 2009). The Court may grant a motion for a new trial “if the verdict is against the demonstrable weight of the credible evidence,” or if it “results in a blatant miscarriage of justice.” Foisy v. Royal Maccabees Life Ins. Co., 356 F.3d 141, 146 (1st Cir. 2004) (quoting Sanchez v. P.R. Oil Co., 37 F.3d 712, 717 (1st Cir. 1994)). “The district court may ‘independently weigh the evidence’ in deciding whether to grant a new trial,” Cham v. Station Operators, Inc., 685 F.3d 87, 97 (1st Cir. 2012) (quoting Jennings, 587 F.3d at 435), and “wields ‘broad legal authority’ when considering a motion for a new trial . . . .” Jennings, 587 F.3d at 436 (quoting de Pérez v. Hosp. del Maestro, 910 F.2d 1004, 1006 (1st Cir.1990)). At the same time, a “district judge cannot displace a jury’s verdict merely because [she] disagrees with it’ or because ‘a contrary verdict may have been equally . . . supportable.’” Id. (quoting Ahern v. Scholz, 85 F.3d 774, 780 (1st Cir. 1996)). “[W]hen an argument that the evidence was insufficient forms the basis of a motion for new trial, the district court is generally well within the bounds of its discretion in denying the motion using the same reasoning as in its denial of a

motion for judgment as a matter of law.” Lama v. Borras, 16 F.3d 473, 477 (1st Cir. 1994). II. EVIDENCE AT TRIAL1 In reaching its verdict, the jury could have found the following facts, based on the evidence presented at trial. These facts are construed in the light most favorable to the jury verdict. A. Overview CGRP is a protein found in humans. See [Trial Tr. 2-93:5, 2-104:8–12, 4-22:15–18, 14- 183:7–15].2 When CGRP “binds,” or attaches, to certain cells, the cells expand, causing increased blood flow through blood vessels, which is associated with headache. [Id. at 4-23:24– 24:17].

The Patents-in-Suit, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,586,045 (the “’045 Patent”), 9,884,907 (the “’907 Patent”), and 9,884,908 (the “’908 Patent”), relate to a method for treating headache by blocking the binding function of the CGRP protein. [Trial Tr. 2-104:8–12]. More specifically, and as described in more detail below, the Patents-in-Suit relate to a method for using humanized anti- CGRP antibodies to bind to CGRP, and block the CGRP protein from itself binding to cells in a

1 The Court summarizes the facts relevant to the science at issue and validity here, and separately addresses facts related to future profits below.

2 The trial transcript in this case is docketed at ECF Nos. 600 (Day 1) and 602–617 (Days 2–17). For consistency, the Court cites the trial transcript as follows: Trial Tr. Day-Page:Line. way that causes headache. [Id. at 14-183:7–15, 15-16:22–24; ECF No. 650 at 6; ECF No. 667 at 1]. 1. Humanized Anti-CGRP Antibodies and How They Function Antibodies and antigens are both proteins. [Trial Tr. 2-36:4]. Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to fight disease and infection by identifying and binding to

antigens. [Id. at 2-147:4–10, 4-18:22–19:13]. CGRP is an example of an antigen. [Id. at 4- 22:15–18]. A humanized antibody is an antibody engineered in a laboratory. [Trial Tr. 3-191:10– 16]. Humanizing an antibody means taking an antibody from a non-human species, like a mouse or rat, and converting it to an antibody that the human immune system will not reject. [Id. at 3- 191:21–192:15]. The makeup and shape of an antibody (a protein) is relevant to how the antibody functions. See [Trial Tr. 4-19:7–20:2]. Proteins are made up of amino acids. [Id. at 4-18:22– 19:13]. There are approximately 20 amino acids found in the human body. [Id.]. These individual amino acids combine together in “chains[,] . . . linked together in a head-to-tail

fashion,” to form a protein. [Id.]. When amino acids combine in a chain to make a protein, they form a shape, and the shape of the protein determines the protein’s function. [Id. at 4-19:7– 20:2]. The relevant antibodies here are generally depicted with a Y-shape. [Id. at 2-123:4–13, 11-117:9–119:24].

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