Judge Moves to Ease Discovery in Suits Over Gilead HIV Drugs

Plaintiffs who allege that Gilead Sciences withheld a new HIV medication to maximize profits on an existing drug will be able to coordinate the discovery process under an order signed by a California judge.

The 26 lawsuits brought by hundreds of patients accuse Gilead of delaying release of improved antiviral medications for more than a decade so the Foster City, Calif.-based company could profit from a less-safe version already on the market until its patent exclusivity ran out.

The cases will now all go to San Francisco County Superior Court, where a judge will be assigned, according to an Aug. ...