Gilead Sciences Inc. got hit with a $2.5 billion verdict in a patent jury trial against Idenix Pharmaceuticals LLC last year.

But it just dodged a second $2.5 billion bullet on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Leonard Stark in Delaware ruled that Gilead's conduct surrounding its blockbuster hepatitis C (HCV) medication sofosvubir did not merit enhanced damages for willful infringement. In fact, Stark suggested that Gilead's conduct was quite reasonable and even in some ways heroic, notwithstanding the evidence presented at trial.