Company Description
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on medicines to prevent and treat serious and life‑threatening diseases. According to company disclosures, Gilead has pursued breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades with the stated goal of creating a healthier world for people affected by conditions such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID‑19, cancer and inflammation. The company’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol GILD.
Gilead is classified in the biological product manufacturing industry within the broader manufacturing sector. The company reports that it operates in more than 35 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Foster City, California. Its activities span research, clinical development and commercialization of biopharmaceutical products, with a particular emphasis on antiviral and oncology therapies as described in its public communications.
Therapeutic focus and disease areas
Public statements from Gilead emphasize a long‑standing focus on HIV and viral hepatitis. The company describes itself as a leading innovator in HIV, noting that its researchers have developed multiple HIV medicines, including single‑tablet treatment regimens and antiretroviral options for pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help reduce new HIV infections. Gilead also highlights work in COVID‑19, cancer and inflammatory diseases, reflecting a diversified therapeutic portfolio within serious viral and immune‑related conditions.
In HIV, Gilead reports that its advances have helped transform HIV into a treatable, preventable, chronic condition for many people. The company also underscores a commitment to continued HIV research, including prevention and cure research, and to addressing evolving needs of people affected by HIV worldwide through scientific programs, collaborations and charitable initiatives.
Oncology and cell therapy
Gilead is expanding its presence in oncology through both small‑molecule and biologic medicines as well as cell therapies. The company’s oncology activities include Gilead’s own programs and those of Kite, a Gilead company focused on cell therapy. Publicly available information describes Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), a CD19‑directed autologous CAR T‑cell therapy manufactured by Kite, as a treatment for certain adults with relapsed or refractory large B‑cell lymphoma after prior lines of therapy. Clinical data presented by Kite indicate that Yescarta has been evaluated as a second‑line option for large B‑cell lymphoma and has shown durable responses in this setting.
Kite also reports development of next‑generation CAR T‑cell therapies, including investigational bicistronic products KITE‑753 and KITE‑363 for relapsed or refractory B‑cell lymphomas, and anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito‑cel) for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. These programs are described as investigational and are being studied in clinical trials, with data presented on response rates, progression‑free survival, safety profiles and manufacturing approaches. These disclosures illustrate Gilead’s broader strategic interest in cell‑based oncology treatments.
Collaborations and external partnerships
Gilead’s public announcements highlight the importance of research collaborations and licensing agreements in building its pipeline. For example, the company has an ongoing research and development collaboration with Assembly Biosciences focused on antiviral programs. Gilead has exercised an option to exclusively license Assembly Bio’s herpes simplex virus helicase‑primase inhibitor programs, including investigational candidates ABI‑1179 and ABI‑5366 for recurrent genital herpes. Under this arrangement, Gilead receives an exclusive license and assumes responsibility for further clinical development and commercialization of these programs, while Assembly Bio remains eligible for milestone payments and royalties.
Gilead has also entered a research collaboration with OncoNano Medicine to evaluate OncoNano’s ON‑BOARD encapsulation technology with a Gilead oncology drug candidate. Under that agreement, the parties will assess the stability, selectivity and efficacy of Gilead’s candidate when encapsulated using ON‑BOARD technology, and Gilead holds an option to expand the collaboration to an additional target. These examples show how Gilead uses partnerships to complement its internal capabilities in antivirals and oncology.
Policy, access and pricing agreements
In addition to scientific collaborations, Gilead engages with government and public sector partners. The company has announced an agreement with the U.S. government intended to reduce drug costs for Americans, while reinforcing its stated commitment to U.S.‑based innovation and global health efforts. As described in that announcement, the agreement includes discounts on certain existing medicines within the U.S. Medicaid program, pricing approaches for future medicines relative to other developed nations, and a direct‑to‑patient program for a hepatitis C treatment. The agreement is also linked to Gilead’s plans to further invest in manufacturing in the United States.
Gilead also references a partnership with the U.S. Department of State to provide an HIV prevention medicine, lenacapavir, at no profit to individuals in severely affected countries over a defined period. These initiatives are presented by the company as part of its broader commitment to access, affordability and global health leadership.
Research and clinical development
Gilead’s pipeline includes both approved medicines and investigational candidates. In HIV treatment, the company has reported positive Phase 3 results from the ARTISTRY‑1 and ARTISTRY‑2 trials evaluating an investigational single‑tablet regimen combining bictegravir and lenacapavir (BIC/LEN) in adults with HIV who are virologically suppressed. In ARTISTRY‑2, the once‑daily BIC/LEN regimen met the primary endpoint of non‑inferiority to Biktarvy (bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide) based on FDA‑defined virologic criteria at Week 48, with no significant new safety concerns identified in the trial. Gilead has indicated that these Phase 3 data will form the basis of regulatory submissions.
Lenacapavir itself is described as a first‑in‑class capsid inhibitor with a multi‑stage mechanism of action across the HIV lifecycle and no known cross‑resistance in vitro to existing drug classes. It is approved in multiple countries for pre‑exposure prophylaxis to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV in at‑risk adults and adolescents, and for treatment of multi‑drug‑resistant HIV in adults in combination with other antiretrovirals. Gilead is evaluating lenacapavir in multiple early‑ and late‑stage studies as a long‑acting option in HIV prevention and treatment, with the aim of offering oral and injectable regimens with different dosing frequencies.
Corporate structure, governance and regulatory reporting
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is incorporated in Delaware and files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Recent Form 8‑K filings show that the company reports material events such as quarterly financial results, changes to bylaws, and executive transitions. For example, Gilead has filed 8‑K reports to announce financial results for specific quarters, to describe amendments and restatements of its bylaws addressing director nomination procedures and related governance matters, and to disclose changes in senior leadership roles.
These SEC filings also confirm that Gilead’s common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. The filings indicate that Gilead is not classified as an emerging growth company under SEC rules. Investors can use these regulatory documents to follow corporate governance changes, financial disclosures and other material developments.
Philanthropy and the Gilead Foundation
Separate from its commercial operations, Gilead supports philanthropic work through the Gilead Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Public communications describe the Gilead Foundation as focused on creating a thriving health ecosystem and addressing root causes of health inequities by supporting organizations that empower individuals and strengthen communities, classrooms and workplaces. One example is a grantmaking program that has awarded more than $3 million in new grants to organizations serving people affected by metastatic breast cancer, building on prior years of funding.
These oncology‑related grants support education, care delivery and support services, including emotional and mental health support, health literacy tools, nutrition resources, and community‑based programs. The foundation’s activities complement Gilead’s broader oncology efforts by addressing non‑clinical barriers to care and supporting patient‑centered initiatives.
Investment, scale and geographic footprint
Gilead has communicated plans for substantial investment in its U.S. footprint, including manufacturing, research and development, and infrastructure, with the stated aim of supporting future discovery, job creation and public health preparedness while continuing to invest globally. The company notes that it operates in more than 35 countries, reflecting a significant international presence in research, manufacturing, and commercialization of its medicines.
Through its combination of antiviral expertise, oncology and cell therapy programs, collaborations with other biotechnology firms, and policy and access initiatives, Gilead positions itself as a major participant in the biopharmaceutical industry focused on serious infectious diseases and cancer. Investors analyzing GILD stock can reference these publicly disclosed strategic themes—HIV leadership, viral hepatitis and COVID‑19 therapies, oncology and cell therapy expansion, and global health partnerships—when considering the company’s long‑term orientation, while relying on SEC filings and official releases for detailed financial and operational data.