On Friday, March 31st, 2023, Coherent Economics’ clients Duke University and Allergan PLC prevailed in a jury trial over Sandoz International in a patent dispute.

Plaintiffs Duke and Allergan had alleged that defendant Sandoz’s subsidiary Novartis had infringed Duke’s patent for an eyelash-growth drug – Latisse – by launching a generic version in 2016, causing a decline in sales of the patented drug. After a five-day trial that included testimony from multiple scientific experts and economists, the jury found for Duke and Allergan, and awarded $39 million in damages.

Coherent Economics Senior Managing Director Dr. Rob Maness, an expert in health economics and intellectual property disputes, testified at trial as plaintiffs’ damages expert. Dr. Maness opined that damages totaled $43.7 million, while an expert for Sandoz had responded with a damages opinion of only $23 million.

Duke University and Allergan were capably represented by Lisa B. Pensabene, Timothy S. Durst, Hassen A. Sayeed, Caitlin P. Hogan, Carolyn S. Wall, James Yi Li, and Jing Ying Zhao of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, as well as Kathryn A. Reilly, Chuan Cheng, and Jacob A. Rey of Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP and Lindsay H. Autz of Autz IP. Dr. Rob Maness was supported by a team at Coherent Economics including Brian Segers, Zack Roder, and Sahil Rizal.