Gilead Sciences to Pay $200 Million to Settle Bribery Allegations

New York, NY – Pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences has reached an agreement in principle with approximately fifty American prosecutors to pay $200 million, settling allegations of bribing healthcare professionals to prescribe its HIV treatments.

“When pharmaceutical companies put profits before patients, New Yorkers suffer,” stated New York State Attorney General Letitia James. “Patients must be able to trust that the recommendations of their doctors are in their best interest, and do not result from gifts from a pharmaceutical laboratory.” James accused Gilead of engaging in “nightmare” practices that harmed the healthcare system through illegal bribes.

A spokesperson for Gilead acknowledged the agreement, stating that the company has “evolved and strengthened its ethical programs in recent years.” The spokesperson emphasized that the resolution, negotiated under the Department of Justice, pertains to past conduct and is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.

A portion of the $202 million settlement will be allocated to the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and also an AIDS assistance program (ADAP). Gilead’s stock closed down 2.70% on the New York Stock Exchange following the announcement.

gifts for Prescriptions

the settlement stems from practices between 2011 and 2017, where Gilead allegedly provided gifts, including meals at high-end restaurants and all-expenses-paid trips to attractive destinations, to healthcare professionals involved in promotional events for its HIV treatments.

Healthcare providers who where high prescribers of Gilead’s treatments reportedly received substantial sums, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, to act as “HIV speakers” during numerous “Dinner Programs.”

Destinations cited in the press release include Hawaii, Miami, New Orleans, and New York. One notable example involved a nurse who attended 75 “HIV Dinner Programs,” sometimes accompanied by her sister, with multiple sessions on the same topic occurring within short periods.

Another instance highlighted a group of ten New York doctors who participated in approximately 384 “Dinner Programs.” A important portion of these were reportedly initiated by one doctor, often featuring identical topics with only two weeks between events.

Gilead currently offers Sunlenca, an antiretroviral treatment approved in 2022 for individuals already living with HIV, which prevents viral multiplication and costs over $39,000 annually per patient. The treatment is based on the Lénacapavir molecule, also used in the promising new HIV preventive treatment, Yeztugo, which received U.S. approval on June 18 and is priced at $28,218 per year in the United States.