Gilead Sciences placed 7th in the multidisciplinary “Best Pharmaceutical Companies Germany” 2022 ranking in the category “research-based, world-leading pharmaceutical companies by sales”. Gilead’s latest innovation is Hepcludex® for the treatment of rare delta hepatitis. The top ranks among the TOP10 international pharmaceutical companies went to Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Bayer Vital/Jenapharm, followed by Sanofi and Pfizer.
Gilead Sciences – a leader in HIV and liver disease
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a United States pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Foster City, California. The company is listed in the S&P 500. With global sales of USD 27.3 billion (2021), Gilead is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. In addition to sites in North America, Europe and Australia, Gilead has been represented in Germany since 1991 in Martinsried near Munich, where around 285 people work. In 2017, Gilead acquired Kite Pharma, a specialist in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell therapy. Together, Gilead and Kite employ over 14,000 people.
Gilead researches and markets therapies for viral infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, influenza and COVID-19, invasive fungal infections, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The American company is known for its commitment to HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Its portfolio includes (2021) 11 drugs against HIV, including Atripla®, Biktarvy®, Emtriva®, Truvada®.
Gilead launched the first HIV therapy in one tablet a day and the first antiretroviral drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Well-known drugs against viral hepatitis include Epclusa®, Hepsera®, Sovaldi®, Vosevi®. In 2020, Hepcludex® became the first drug approved for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection, a rare disease. Gilead has new medicines in the pipeline in all its indications (55 clinical trials at the end of 2021). The Ebola drug Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 (Veklury®) experienced a renaissance.
Gilead’s sales increased by 11% to around USD 27 billion in the pandemic year 2021. Sales of Veklury® (remdesivir) alone contributed USD 5.6 billion. HIV sales were USD 16.3 billion, and oncology USD 1.25 billion. R&D accounted for USD 5.4 billion in 2021, or about 20% of sales.
In 2005, the Gilead Foundation was established with the goal of improving global health disparities.
Awards for Gilead for innovation and sustainability
Hepcludex® for the treatment of rare hepatitis D received the award “The most innovative product” as an orphan drug from the specialist group of gastroenterologists in 2021.
