Gilead HIV Drug-Delay Suit Hearing Focuses on Duty (Correct)

Gilead Sciences Inc.‘s attorney and counsel for plaintiffs alleging harm from early HIV drugs both faced a barrage of questioning from a California appeals court panel in litigation alleging the company delayed marketing safer HIV drugs to protect sales.

The judges’ questions Wednesday to both lawyers centered on whether the plaintiffs raised a viable negligence claim alleging Gilead owed them a duty, and whether such a claim should be limited if allowed.

The plaintiffs allege that older “TDF” medications caused their kidney, tooth, or bone damage. But they aren’t bringing a traditional design defect claim about the older drugs, ...