Gilead, deceptive pharmaceutical company

On April 1, 2016, we are at Gilead because it is representative of the deceptive pharmaceutical industry.

List prices for Sovaldi (USD 84,000 USD) and Harvoni (USD 94,500 USD) are way out of reach for most people, and private and public insurers are refusing to pay for these drugs except for the more seriously ill. Even with mandatory and negotiated rebates, in the US, Europe, and middle-income countries, the price of these drugs is still excessive -- on average between USD 35,000 to 55,000, while the cost of production is about USD 60-270 for a full 12-week course. Gilead is blocking important initiatives by independent generic drug companies to provide cheaper versions of these medications in poorer countries. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee found that Gilead used a strategy to maximise profit, regardless of the human costs and lives destroyed.

Gilead also produces Truvada, the only anti-retroviral drug combination that has also been approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to prevent HIV transmission. But Truvada for PrEP is not made widely available around the world due to its high cost. It is too expensive to be deemed cost effective for PrEP in the UK (at £446 per month) and in Asia, South America, and Africa -- where it could be a vital tool to prevent millions of people from becoming infected. In the US, a plan to End the AIDS Epidemic (EtE) in New York State (seen as a model for similar plans across many jurisdictions), will require substantial discounts on the cost of Truvada for it to be successful.

For hepatitis C medicines, we demand Gilead to:

  • Publicly commit to developing a plan for simple, unfettered, immediate, and universal access to HCV cures by working transparently with government, public and private insurance providers, and affected communities to develop such a plan.

  • Reduce the price of hepatitis C medications (Harvoni and Sovaldi) by 90% to provide affordable treatment for everyone who needs it.

  • Ensure access for high risk groups, including prisoners, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and disadvantaged communities around the world.

  • Use a more sustainable production and distribution system for drugs based on maximized public health impacts.

For PrEP, we demand Gilead to:

  • Aggressively promote, through a multimedia, multilingual campaign, the copay assistance program, the medication assistance program, and the patient access foundation to providers and patients.

  • Publicly commit to substantial discounts for Truvada for any jurisdiction developing their own End the Epidemic plans, as Gilead did in New York State.

  • Immediately initiate research for tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) as PrEP.

  • Register sole agent TAF for the treatment of HIV in all countries.

For HIV treatment, we demand Gilead to:

  • Publicly commit to substantial discounts for all of Gilead’s HIV treatments for any jurisdiction seeking to end HIV as an epidemic, as Gilead did in New York.

  • Commit to working with domestic and foreign governments, international health and advocacy organizations, and affected communities, to set prices that are affordable and will ensure access to all those who need them around the world.