Advocates Slam US-Gilead Patent Settlement Over HIV PrEP Drugs

Public health advocates expressed outrage at the US government’s settlement of its lawsuit against Gilead Sciences Inc. over billions in profits tied to HIV drug patents, arguing the deal shortchanges taxpayers and sets a troubling precedent for government-funded innovation.

The agreement last week, which ended a five-year legal battle, granted Gilead a license to key government-owned patents related to pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP, for preventing the transmission of HIV. As part of the pact, the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services dropped their appeal of the US District Court for the District of Delaware’s ...