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Legal Matters (Notes)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Legal Matters
Legal Matters
From time to time, the Company is a party to legal proceedings in the course of the Company's business. Costs associated with the Company's involvement in legal proceedings are expensed as incurred.
Proceedings Relating to '287 Patent, '163 Patent, and '018 Patent
The Company is a party to patent infringement litigation initiated by the Company involving its European Patent No. 1,360,287 (the "'287 Patent"), its European Patent No. 2,264,163 (the "'163 Patent"), and its U.S. Patent No. 8,502,018 (the "'018 Patent"). Each of these patents concerns genetically altered mice capable of producing chimeric antibodies that are part human and part mouse. Chimeric antibody sequences can be used to produce high-affinity fully human monoclonal antibodies. In these proceedings, the Company claims infringement of several claims of the '287 Patent, the '163 Patent, and the '018 Patent (as applicable), and seeks, among other types of relief, an injunction and an account of profits in connection with the defendants' infringing acts, which may include, among other things, the making, use, keeping, sale, or offer for sale of genetically engineered mice (or certain cells from which they are derived) that infringe one or more claims of the '287 Patent, the '163 Patent, and the '018 Patent (as applicable). At this time, the Company is not able to predict the outcome of, or an estimate of gain or a range of possible loss, if any, related to, these proceedings.
Proceedings Relating to Praluent (alirocumab) Injection
On October 17, 2014 and October 28, 2014, Amgen Inc. filed complaints against Regeneron, Sanofi, Aventisub LLC (subsequently removed and replaced with Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC), and Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware seeking an injunction to prohibit Regeneron and the other defendants from manufacturing, using, offering to sell, or selling within the United States (as well as importing into the United States) Praluent, which Regeneron is jointly developing with Sanofi. On November 11, 2014 and November 17, 2014 Amgen filed complaints against Regeneron, Sanofi, Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC, and Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the same court seeking the same relief. Amgen asserts U.S. Patent Nos. 8,563,698, 8,829,165 (the "'165 Patent"), and 8,859,741 (the "'741 Patent") in the first complaint, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,871,913 and 8,871,914 (the "'914 Patent") in the second complaint, U.S. Patent No. 8,883,983 in the third complaint, and U.S. Patent No. 8,889,834 in the fourth complaint. Amgen also seeks a judgment of patent infringement of the asserted patents, monetary damages (together with interest), costs and expenses of the lawsuits, and attorneys' fees. On December 15, 2014, all of the four proceedings were consolidated into a single case. On September 15, 2015, Amgen filed a motion for leave to file a supplemental and second amended complaint, which was granted on January 29, 2016. As amended, the complaint alleges, among other things, willful infringement of the asserted patents, which would allow the court to increase damages up to three times the amount assessed if the court finds willful infringement. On October 20, 2015, the District Court issued its claim construction order, in which it defined the meaning of certain disputed claim terms; none of the court's rulings were dispositive of the issues in the case. On November 3, 2015, pursuant to court order, the patents asserted by Amgen were narrowed to the '165, '741, and '914 Patents. On March 4, 2016, Amgen further narrowed the asserted patents to the '165 and '741 Patents.
A jury trial in this litigation was held from March 8 to March 16, 2016. During the course of the trial, the court ruled as a matter of law in favor of Amgen that the asserted patent claims were not obvious, and in favor of Regeneron and Sanofi that there was no willful infringement of the asserted patent claims by Regeneron or Sanofi. On March 16, 2016, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Amgen, finding that the asserted claims of the '165 and '741 Patents were not invalid based on either a lack of written description or a lack of enablement. The court’s final opinion and judgment are expected to be issued following submission of post-trial briefs, which are expected to be submitted in the second quarter of 2016. The Company and Sanofi plan to appeal any judgment that is adverse to the Company and Sanofi.
On March 23 and March 24, 2016, the court held a permanent injunction hearing to determine whether Regeneron and Sanofi should be prohibited from commercializing Praluent. The court deferred a decision on the permanent injunction until after post-trial briefs are submitted.
At this time, the Company is not able to estimate a range of possible loss, if any, related to these proceedings.
Proceedings Relating to Patents Owned by Genentech and City of Hope
On July 27, 2015, the Company and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Central District of California (Western Division) seeking a declaratory judgment of invalidity, as well as non-infringement by the manufacture, use, sale, offer of sale, or importation of Praluent (alirocumab), of U.S. Patent No. 7,923,221 (the "'221 Patent") jointly owned by Genentech, Inc. ("Genentech") and City of Hope relating to the production of recombinant antibodies by host cells. On the same day, the Company and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC initiated an inter partes review in the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") seeking a declaration of invalidity of certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,331,415 jointly owned by Genentech and City of Hope relating to the production of recombinant antibodies by host cells. On February 5, 2016, the USPTO instituted an inter partes review of the validity of most of the patent claims for which review had been requested. On September 17, 2015, Genentech and City of Hope answered the complaint previously filed by the Company and Sanofi in the District Court and counterclaimed, alleging that the Company and Sanofi infringe the '221 Patent and seeking, among other types of relief, damages and a permanent injunction. On November 2, 2015, the court set a tentative trial date beginning on September 27, 2016. At this time, the Company is not able to predict the outcome of, or an estimate of gain or range of possible loss, if any, related to these proceedings.
Proceedings Relating to Shareholder Derivative Claims
On December 30, 2015, an alleged shareholder filed a shareholder derivative complaint in the New York Supreme Court, naming the current and certain former non-employee members of the Company's board of directors, the Chairman of the board of directors, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, and the Company's Chief Scientific Officer as defendants and Regeneron as a nominal defendant. The complaint asserts that the individual defendants breached their fiduciary duties and were unjustly enriched when they approved and/or received allegedly excessive compensation in 2013 and 2014. The complaint seeks damages in favor of the Company for the alleged breaches of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment; changes to Regeneron's corporate governance and internal procedures; invalidation of the 2014 Incentive Plan with respect to the individual defendants' compensation and a shareholder vote regarding the individual defendants' equity compensation; equitable relief, including an equitable accounting with disgorgement; and award of the costs of the action, including attorneys' fees. On March 2, 2016, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the shareholder derivative complaint.
On or about December 15, 2015, the Company received a shareholder litigation demand upon the Company's board of directors made by a purported Regeneron shareholder. The demand asserts that the current and certain former non-employee members of the board of directors and the Chairman of the board of directors excessively compensated themselves in 2013 and 2014. The demand requests that the board of directors investigate and bring legal action against these directors for breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and corporate waste, and implement internal controls and systems designed to prohibit and prevent similar actions in the future. The Company's board of directors, working with outside counsel, investigated the allegations in the demand and the shareholder derivative complaint, and has determined to defer its decision on the demand until the court rules on the pending motion to dismiss the shareholder derivative complaint, as discussed above.
At this time, the Company is not able to estimate a range of possible loss, if any, relating to these matters.