Multiple HIV drug lawsuits have been filed against Gilead Sciences by patients claiming that the biotechnology company has the ability to release a safer and more cost-effective HIV drug, but has declined to do so in order to make maximum profits off of patients.

Victims seeking Gilead lawsuit settlements may be able to receive large financial awards.

Gilead HIV Drug Lawsuits

According to a recent Gilead class action lawsuit, the drug company may have been engaged in a scheme to restrict competition in the production and sale of antiviral drugs meant for the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

According to the plaintiffs in the lawsuits, Gilead has built a monopoly around these drugs, unlawfully extended their patent protections, blocked competitors from creating generics, and charged patients excessively high prices for this life saving medication. The lawsuit also claims that Gilead has the ability to manufacture a safer HIV drug, but has declined to do so. This has allegedly lead thousands of patients to needlessly suffer side effects from their HIV treatment drugs.

The plaintiffs claim that Gilead entered into anticompetitive agreements with several other pharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Japan Tobacco.

According to the Washington Post, these anticompetitive agreements were allegedly meant to stifle the release of new antiviral medications onto the market, in order to keep prices for Gilead medications at a premium. The company currently generates over $11 billion a year from the sale of HIV antivirals.

Who is Affected?

According to the National Institute of Health, more than 1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV.

According to the Gilead class action lawsuit, more than 80 percent of patients on HIV antiviral medications take at least one combination antiviral drug produced by Gilead. The cost of the most commonly prescribed HIV treatment regimen in the United States is more than $40,000. Some FDA-approved generic antivirals in other countries cost less than $100 a year.

The high cost of these medications have devastating effects for patients living with HIV, and may lead to non-adherence to HIV treatments. Many patients have joined class action lawsuits in the hope of receiving Gilead lawsuit settlements.

About Antiviral Medications

Antiviral medications are meant to alter the course of HIV and turn the disease into a manageable condition. Without treatment, HIV will lead to AIDS and eventually death.

People who require HIV treatment drugs are generally prescribed three HIV drugs from multiple drug classes. Although these treatments do not cure HIV, they do help patients to live longer and healthier lives, while also reducing the risk of transmitting the disease to others.

Side effects of HIV treatments may include bone density and kidney problems. The active ingredient in Gilead HIV treatments, tenofovir, is not easily absorbed by the body. This leads to deposits of the chemical in patients’ bones and kidneys, leading to chronic kidney disease, kidney damage, and bone demineralization.

Patients who have suffered from side effects of their HIV medications or have been forced to pay exorbitantly high costs for their treatments may qualify to hire an attorney and pursue compensation through a class action lawsuit. Gilead lawsuit settlements may help those who have faced complications and high costs.

The Gilead Class Action Lawsuit is Case No. 3:19-cv-02573, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.