AIDS activists slam Biden-Gilead HIV drug patent deal
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- AIDS activists obtained the R&D agreement that was central to the U.S.-Gilead settlement over HIV prevention drug patents, but called the deal a missed "historic" opportunity to invest in and expand access to HIV prevention tools.
- The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed six years ago by the previous Trump administration, which alleged Gilead infringed CDC patent rights for HIV drugs.
- Gilead was accused of ignoring contributions from CDC scientists, exaggerating its own role in developing the prevention drugs, and refusing a licensing agreement despite "multiple attempts" after reaping hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayer-funded research.
- The CDC had helped fund the academic research that later formed the basis for two Gilead HIV prevention pills, Truvada and Descovy.
Why it matters: The CDC's documented contribution to Truvada and Descovy gave taxpayers a direct stake in Gilead's revenue, yet activists argue the settlement left HIV prevention access largely unchanged. Gilead closes a six-year infringement fight, while the critics who pushed for the deal say hundreds of millions in taxpayer-funded research yielded too little in expanded prevention access.
