Gilead again profits by limiting access to prescription drug discount programs and by manipulating patents
SAN FRANCISCO (September 9, 2025) On Wednesday, September 10, advocates and mobilizers affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), will host a protest targeting HIV drug giant, Gilead Sciences, at its Foster City, CA, headquarters over the Bay Area company’s drug recent across the board and high single digit price hikes on its key HIV medications.
WHAT: Drug Price Hike protest at Gilead HQ
WHEN: Wednesday, September 10 11:00 a.m. PT
WHERE: In front of:
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Headquarters
333 Lakeside Dr., Foster City, CA 94404
WHO: 25+ advocates & mobilizers with signs reading “Gilead Scams Taxpayers,” “Gilead Scams HIV Patients,” and “Stop Being Greedy”
Advocates will also begin circulating a sign on letter among other AIDS and community groups and government agencies addressed to Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day. The letter highlights repeated instances of Gilead’s corporate greed and notes that he and Gilead could easily exempt the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) from such price hikes—a power which he and Gilead have repeatedly refused. Among Gilead’s drug price transgressions:
- In under two years, Gilead doubled the price of its HIV-prevention drug, Descovy. In the third quarter of 2020, 340B providers paid $445.11 for the PrEP drug; by the second quarter of 2022, the 340B price had skyrocketed to $987.55.
- In 2022, Gilead made drastic cuts to its Advancing Access Medication Assistance Program (MAP), a vital program for HIV nonprofits.
- Gilead engaged in a patent extension strategy, delaying the release of a superior HIV drug. Before Truvada received FDA approval, Gilead had begun researching a safer and more effective design of tenofovir, tenofovir alafenamide, but shelved it to maximize profits of the older version.
- In 2022, Gilead instituted unlawful contract pharmacy restrictions, limiting where nonprofit providers can access life-saving medicines for their patients.
- In January 2025, Gilead announced that its Advancing Access® Patient Assistance Program/Medication Assistance Program would no longer provide free access to Truvada, Emtriva, Tybost, and Complera.
STAT News Reporter Ed Silverman recently wrote about Gilead’s latest pricing moves on its HIV medications, in “Gilead wants state AIDS drug programs to pay significant price hikes for HIV meds.” (9/02/25), noting that Gilead drugs account for almost 60% of ADAP spending. He’d written prior about Gilead shutting off free access by patient assistance programs to key HIV drugs.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 2.5 million clients in 49 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
