ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In evaluating our business, you should carefully consider the following discussion of material risks, events and uncertainties that make an investment in us speculative or risky in addition to the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A manifestation of any of the following risks and uncertainties could, in circumstances we may or may not be able to accurately predict, materially and adversely affect our business and operations, growth, reputation (including the commercial or scientific reputation of our products), prospects, product pipeline and sales, operating and financial results, financial condition, cash flows, liquidity and stock price. We note these factors for investors as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is not possible to predict or identify all such factors; our operations could also be affected by factors, events or uncertainties that are not presently known to us or that we currently do not consider to present significant risks to our operations. Therefore, you should not consider the following risks to be a complete statement of all the potential risks or uncertainties that we face. Moreover, some of the factors, events and contingencies discussed below may have occurred in the past, but the disclosures below are not representations as to whether or not the factors, events or contingencies have occurred in the past, and instead reflect our beliefs and opinions as to the factors, events or contingencies that could materially and adversely affect us in the future.
Product and Commercialization Risks
Certain of our products subject us to additional or heightened risks.
HIV
We receive a substantial portion of our revenue from sales of our products for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. We may be unable to sustain or increase sales of our HIV products for any number of reasons, including market share gains by competitive products, including generics, or the inability to introduce new HIV medications necessary to remain competitive. In such case, we may need to scale back our operations, including our future drug development and spending on research and development (“R&D”) efforts. For example, many of our HIV products contain tenofovir alafenamide (“TAF”), which belongs to the nucleoside class of antiviral therapeutics. If there are any changes to the treatment or prevention paradigm for HIV, and nucleoside-based therapeutics do not remain the preferred regimen, our HIV product sales would be adversely impacted.
Cell Therapy
Advancing a novel and personalized therapy such as Yescarta or Tecartus, which are chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR”) T-cell therapies, creates significant challenges, including:
•educating and certifying medical personnel regarding the procedures and the potential side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome and neurologic toxicities, in compliance with the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”);
•securing sufficient supply of other medications to manage side effects, such as tocilizumab and corticosteroids, which may not be available in sufficient quantities, may not adequately control the side effects and/or may have detrimental impacts on the efficacy of cell therapy;
•developing and maintaining a robust and reliable process for engineering a patient’s T cells in our facilities and infusing them back into the patient; and
•conditioning patients with chemotherapy in advance of administering our therapy, which may increase the risk of adverse side effects.
The use of engineered T cells as a potential cancer treatment is a recent development and may not be broadly accepted by physicians, patients, hospitals, cancer treatment centers, payers and others in the medical community. For example, in January 2024, FDA instituted a class labeling change for all approved CAR T-cell therapies, including a “boxed warning” about the possible risk of secondary T-cell malignancies in patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy. For challenges related to the reimbursement of Yescarta and Tecartus, see also “Our existing products are subject to reimbursement pressures from government agencies and other third parties, required rebates and discounts, and other pricing pressures.”
We rely on third-party sites to collect patients’ white blood cells, known as apheresis centers, as well as shippers, couriers, and hospitals for the logistical collection of patients’ white blood cells and ultimate delivery of Yescarta and Tecartus to patients. These vendors may encounter disruptions or difficulties that could result in product loss and regulatory action. Apheresis centers may also choose not to participate in our quality certification process, or we may be unable to complete such certification in a timely manner or at all, which could delay or constrain our manufacturing and commercialization efforts.
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We also face risks related to our in-house CAR T-cell therapy manufacturing facilities in California, Maryland and the Netherlands, spanning process development, vector manufacturing, clinical trial production and commercial product manufacturing. Quality, reliability and speed are critical in cell therapy manufacturing to quickly and safely deliver our cell therapies to patients. Any delays or quality issues with our manufacturing operations could adversely affect our business and damage our reputation. In addition, we may not be able to sufficiently increase manufacturing network capacity to meet growing demand.
Our success depends on developing and commercializing new products or expanding the indications for existing products.
If we are unable to launch commercially successful new products or new indications for existing products, including approval for earlier lines of therapy, our business will be adversely impacted. The launch of commercially successful products is necessary to grow our business, cover our substantial R&D expenses, and offset revenue losses when existing products lose market share due to factors such as competition and loss of patent exclusivity. There are many difficulties and uncertainties inherent in drug development and the introduction of new products. The product development cycle is characterized by significant investments of resources, long lead times and unpredictable outcomes due to the nature of developing medicines for human use. We expend significant time and resources on our product pipeline as well as on preparations for potential commercial launch without any assurance that we will recoup our investments or that our efforts will be commercially successful. A high rate of failure is inherent in the discovery and development of new products, and failure can occur at any point in the process, including late in the process after substantial investment. Such failures have had, and may have in the future, a negative impact on our business and financial results, including as a result of our inability to recover R&D, clinical trial, acquisition-related and other expenses incurred in connection with the development of and launch preparations for our product candidates. For example, we enter into commitments to purchase materials and supplies in anticipation of the potential manufacture and sale of new product candidates, and in the event the development, approval or launch of these product candidates is delayed or otherwise unsuccessful, we may experience excess inventory that needs to be written down, losses on firm commitments to purchase inventory, or other costs and expenses resulting from such commitments.
We face challenges in accurately forecasting sales because of the difficulties in predicting demand for our products and fluctuations in purchasing patterns or wholesaler inventories.
We may be unable to accurately predict demand for our products as demand depends on a number of factors. If we do not accurately forecast demand or manufacture products at levels to align with actual demand, then we may experience product shortages or build excess inventory that may need to be written off. For example, product demand may be adversely affected if physicians do not see the benefit of our products. Additionally, uptake of new products may not materialize as expected, or at all in the case of unsuccessful product candidates. For example, Veklury sales generally reflect COVID-19 related rates and severity of infections and hospitalizations, as well as the availability, uptake and effectiveness of vaccines and alternative treatments for COVID-19, and future sales in the short- and long-term remain uncertain.
Additionally, the non-retail sector in the U.S., which includes government institutions, including state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, correctional facilities and large health maintenance organizations, tends to be less consistent in terms of buying patterns and often causes quarter-over-quarter fluctuations that do not mirror actual patient demand for our products. Federal and state budget pressures, as well as the annual grant cycles for federal and state funds, may cause purchasing patterns to not reflect patient demand for our products. We expect to continue to experience fluctuations in the purchasing patterns of our non-retail customers. In light of the budget crises faced by many European countries, we have observed variations in purchasing patterns induced by cost containment measures in Europe. We believe these measures have caused some government agencies and other purchasers to reduce inventory of our products in the distribution channels, and we may continue to see this trend in the future.
We sell and distribute most of our products in the U.S. exclusively through the wholesaler/distributor channel. Historically, approximately 90% of our product sales in the U.S. have been to three wholesalers, Cardinal Health, Inc., Cencora, Inc., and McKesson Corporation, and their specialty distributor affiliates. The U.S. wholesalers and distributors with whom we have entered into inventory management agreements make estimates to determine end-user demand and may not be accurate in matching their inventory levels to actual end-user demand. As a result, changes in inventory levels held by those wholesalers and distributors can cause our operating results to fluctuate unexpectedly if our sales to these wholesalers and distributors do not match end-user demand. In addition, inventory is held at retail and specialty pharmacies and other non-wholesaler/distributor locations with whom we have no inventory management agreements and no control over buying patterns. Adverse changes in economic conditions, increased competition or other factors may cause retail and specialty pharmacies to reduce their inventories of our products, which would reduce their orders from wholesalers and distributors and, consequently, the wholesalers’ and distributors’ orders from us, even if end-user demand has not changed. In addition, we have observed that strong wholesaler/distributor and sub-wholesaler/distributor purchases of our products in the second half of the year typically results in inventory draw-down by wholesalers/distributors and sub-wholesalers/distributors in the subsequent first quarter. As inventory in the distribution channel fluctuates from quarter to quarter, we may continue to see fluctuations in our earnings and a mismatch between prescription demand for our products and our revenues.
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We face significant competition from global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, specialized pharmaceutical firms and generic drug manufacturers.
New branded or generic products entering major markets affects our ability to maintain pricing and market share. Our products compete with other available products based primarily on efficacy, safety, tolerability, acceptance by doctors, ease of patient compliance, ease of use, price, insurance and other reimbursement coverage, distribution and marketing. A number of companies are pursuing the development of products and technologies that may be competitive with our existing products or research programs. These competing companies include large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and specialized pharmaceutical firms acting either independently or together with other such companies. Furthermore, academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private organizations conducting research may seek patent protection or may establish collaborative arrangements for competitive products or programs. We may be adversely impacted if any of these competitors gain market share as a result of new technologies, commercialization strategies or otherwise.
Our existing products are subject to reimbursement pressures from government agencies and other third parties, required rebates and discounts, and other pricing pressures.
Successful commercialization of our products depends, in part, on the availability and amount of third-party payer reimbursement for our products and related treatments and medical services in the markets where we sell our products. As our products mature, pricing pressures from private insurers and government payers often result in a reduction of the net product prices.
Legislative and regulatory actions affecting government prescription drug procurement and reimbursement programs occur relatively frequently. We may be adversely impacted by any such legislative and regulatory actions, though it is difficult to predict the impact, if any, on the use and reimbursement of our products.
In the U.S., the European Union (“EU”) and other significant or potentially significant markets for our products and product candidates, government authorities and third-party payers are increasingly attempting to limit or regulate the price of medical products and services. The volume of drug pricing-related legislation has dramatically increased in recent years, including:
•U.S. Congress has enacted laws requiring manufacturer refunds on certain amounts of discarded drug from single-use vials and eliminating the existing cap on Medicaid rebate amounts beginning in 2024.
•U.S. Congress has enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”), which, among other changes, (1) requires the Department of Health and Human Services to “negotiate” Medicare prices for certain drugs (starting with 10 drugs in 2026, adding 15 drugs in 2027 and 2028, and adding 20 drugs in 2029 and subsequent years), which could also affect the Medicaid rebate obligations and the ceiling prices charged to covered entities under Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act (“340B”) if such prices are lower than the Medicaid Best Price; (2) imposes an inflation-based rebate on Medicare Part B utilization starting in 2023 and Part D utilization beginning October 1, 2022; and (3) restructures the Medicare Part D benefit to cap out-of-pocket expenses for Part D beneficiaries beginning in 2024 and, effective January 1, 2025, increases Part D plans’ contributions in the catastrophic coverage phase and increases manufacturers’ discount contributions across coverage phases such that manufacturers must pay a 10% discount in the initial coverage phase and a 20% discount in the catastrophic phase on drugs utilized by all Part D beneficiaries, including low income subsidy patients. Although none of our products were selected by the Department of Health and Human Services for “negotiation” in 2026 or 2027, there is no assurance that our products will not be selected in the future. We continue to evaluate the potential impact of the IRA on our business. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has issued a number of guidance documents, but it remains unclear how certain provisions of the IRA will be implemented. Additional guidance, legislation or rulemaking may be issued that could change the scope or implementation of the IRA. In addition, multiple manufacturers and trade organizations have challenged the Medicare “negotiation” provisions of the IRA, and additional legal challenges may be filed in the future. While the full impact of the IRA on our business and the pharmaceutical industry remains uncertain at this time, we anticipate that the IRA will increase our payment obligations under the redesigned Part D discount program, limit the prices we can charge for our products, and increase the rebates we must provide government programs for our products, thereby reducing our profitability and negatively impacting our financial results.
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•Many state legislatures are considering, or have already passed into law, legislation that seeks to indirectly or directly regulate pharmaceutical drug pricing, such as requiring manufacturers to publicly report proprietary pricing information, creating review boards for prices, establishing drug payment limits, and encouraging the use of generic drugs. For example, in August 2023, the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board (“PDAB”) selected Genvoya for an affordability review, and subsequently determined that Genvoya was not unaffordable. Additional state PDABs have or may in the future undertake similar affordability reviews of our products. A finding that one of our products is unaffordable could lead to legislative action to designate an upper limit on the amount certain purchasers and payors can pay for our products. These initiatives and such other legislation may cause added pricing pressures on our products, and the resulting impact on our business is uncertain at this time.
•Many countries outside the U.S., including the EU member states, have established complex and lengthy procedures to obtain price approvals and coverage reimbursement and periodically review their pricing and reimbursement decisions. The outcome of these reviews cannot be predicted and could have an adverse effect on the pricing and reimbursement of our medical products in the EU member states. Reductions in the pricing of our medical products in one member state could affect the price in other member states and have a negative impact on our financial results.
A substantial portion of our product sales is subject to significant discounts from list price, including rebates that we may be required to pay state Medicaid agencies and discounts provided to covered entities under 340B. Changes to the 340B program or the Medicaid program at the federal or state level could have a material adverse effect on our business. For example, the continued growth of the 340B program limits the prices we may charge on an increasing percentage of sales. Changes to the calculation of rebates under the Medicaid program could substantially increase our Medicaid rebate obligations and decrease the prices we charge 340B-covered entities.
In March 2022, we implemented a contract pharmacy integrity initiative for our branded hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) products. This integrity initiative does not involve any products from Asegua Therapeutics LLC. Our integrity initiative requires covered entities that enter into 340B bill to/ship to arrangements with contract pharmacies for our branded HCV products to provide claims level data for units dispensed from such contract pharmacies; covered entities without an in-house pharmacy that choose not to participate in the initiative can designate a single contract pharmacy for shipment. Certain manufacturers that have implemented other contract pharmacy integrity programs have received enforcement letters from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) asserting that those programs violate the 340B statute, have been referred to the HHS Office of Inspector General for assessment of civil monetary penalties, and have been subject to administrative dispute resolution proceedings brought on behalf of covered entities. Some of these manufacturers are challenging HHS’ position in litigation. Certain states have also enacted laws requiring manufacturers to provide 340B pricing through contract pharmacy arrangements, and additional states may adopt similar laws; we believe these laws, which are being challenged in ongoing litigation, are invalid but we have carved out covered entities in certain states from our integrity initiative while litigation challenging these laws proceeds. We also believe that our integrity initiative complies with the requirements of the 340B statute. However, additional legal or legislative developments with respect to the 340B program, including potential litigation with HHS or other stakeholders, may negatively impact our ability to implement or continue our integrity initiative.
In addition, standard reimbursement structures do not always adequately reimburse for innovative therapies. For example, beginning in fiscal year 2021, CMS established a new severity-adjusted diagnosis-related group (“DRG”) 018 for Medicare inpatient reimbursement of CAR T-cell products such as Yescarta and Tecartus. While the new DRG has a significantly higher base payment amount than the prior DRG 016, the payment available may not be sufficient to reimburse some hospitals for their cost of care for patients receiving Yescarta and Tecartus. When reimbursement is not aligned well to account for treatment costs, Medicare beneficiaries may be denied access as this misalignment could impact the willingness of some hospitals to offer the therapy and of doctors to recommend the therapy. Additionally, in the EU, there are barriers to reimbursement in individual countries that could limit the uptake of Yescarta and Tecartus.
Moreover, we estimate the rebates we will be required to pay in connection with sales during a particular quarter based on claims data from prior quarters. In the U.S., actual rebate claims are typically made by payers one to three quarters in arrears. Actual claims and payments may vary significantly from our estimates.
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We may experience adverse impacts resulting from the importation of our products from lower price markets or the distribution of illegally diverted or counterfeit versions of our products.
Prices for our products are based on local market economics and competition and sometimes differ from country to country. Our sales in countries with relatively higher prices may be reduced if products can be imported and resold into those countries from lower price markets. For example, in January 2024, FDA authorized Florida’s proposed program to import prescription drugs from Canada, and U.S. sales may be adversely affected if Florida meets the additional requirements set by FDA in its authorization. We have entered into agreements with generic drug manufacturers as well as licensing agreements with the Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed public health organization, which allow generic drug manufacturers to manufacture generic versions of certain of our products for distribution in certain low- and middle-income countries. We may be adversely affected if any generic versions of our products, whether or not produced and/or distributed under these agreements, are exported to the U.S., the EU or markets with higher prices.
In the EU, we are required to permit products purchased in one EU member state to be sold in another member state. Purchases of our products in member states where our selling prices are relatively low for resale in member states in which our selling prices are relatively high can affect the inventory level held by our wholesalers and can cause the relative sales levels in the various countries to fluctuate from quarter to quarter and not reflect the actual consumer demand in any given quarter.
Additionally, diverted products may be used in countries where they have not been approved and patients may source the diverted products outside the legitimate supply chain. These diverted products may be handled, shipped and stored inappropriately, which may affect the quality and/or efficacy of the products and could harm patients and adversely impact us.
We are also aware of the existence of various suppliers around the world that, without Gilead’s authorization, purport to source our products and generic versions of our products and sell them for use in countries where those products have not been approved. As a result, patients may be at risk of taking unapproved medications that may not be what they purport to be, may not have the potency they claim to have or may contain harmful substances, which could harm patients and adversely impact us.
Further, third parties have illegally distributed and sold, and may continue to illegally distribute and sell, illegally diverted and counterfeit versions of our medicines, which do not meet the rigorous quality standards of our manufacturing and supply chain. For example, as part of a U.S. civil enforcement lawsuit in coordination with law enforcement, and pursuant to court order, we seized thousands of bottles of Gilead-labeled medication with counterfeit supply chain documentation. Our investigation revealed that pharmaceutical distributors that are not authorized by Gilead to sell Gilead medicine sold purportedly genuine Gilead medicine sourced from an illegal counterfeiting scheme to independent pharmacies nationwide.
Illegally diverted and counterfeit versions of Gilead-branded medicines exist and may pose a serious risk to patient health and safety. Our actions to stop or prevent the distribution and sale of illegally diverted and counterfeit versions of our medicines around the world may be costly and unsuccessful, which may adversely affect patients and our reputation and business, including our product revenues and financial results.
Product Development and Supply Chain Risks
We face risks in our clinical trials, including the potential for unfavorable results, delays in anticipated timelines and disruption.
We are required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of product candidates that we develop for each intended use through extensive preclinical studies and clinical trials. The results from these studies do not always accurately predict results in later, large-scale clinical trials. Even successfully completed large-scale clinical trials may not result in marketable products.
We face numerous risks and uncertainties with our clinical trials that could result in delays or prevent completion of the development and approval of our product candidates, including challenges in clinical trial protocol design, our ability to enroll patients in clinical trials, the possibility of unfavorable or inadequate trial results to support further development of our product candidates, including failure to meet a trial’s primary endpoint, safety issues arising from our clinical trials, and the need to modify or delay our clinical trials or to perform additional trials. For example, in January 2024, we announced that our Phase 3 EVOKE-01 study evaluating sacituzumab govitecan-hziy did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival in previously treated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”), which resulted in us recording an impairment charge during the three months ended March 31, 2024. In September 2024, we decided to discontinue our clinical development program in NSCLC for the second-line indication, resulting in us recording an impairment charge during the three months ended September 30, 2024 (for more information, see Note 9. Goodwill and Intangible Assets of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K). In May 2024, we provided an update that (i) our Phase 3 TROPiCs-04 study did not meet its primary endpoint, which was a confirmatory study required in connection with the accelerated approval of sacituzumab govitecan-hziy for treatment of metastatic urothelial cancer, and (ii) there was a higher number of deaths due to adverse events with sacituzumab govitecan-hziy compared to treatment of physician’s choice. In addition, following results and data from several magrolimab studies as well as corresponding FDA clinical holds, we announced in February 2024 that we would not pursue further development of magrolimab in hematologic cancers.
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As a result, we may be unable to successfully complete our clinical trials on our anticipated timelines, or at all. Based on trial results, it is possible that FDA and other regulatory authorities do not approve our product candidates, or that any market approvals include significant limitations on the products’ use. Additionally, products and indications approved under accelerated approval pathways may be subject to withdrawal where confirmatory studies are unsuccessful. In October 2024, we announced plans to voluntarily withdraw the U.S. accelerated approval for Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy; SG) for treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have previously received a platinum-containing chemotherapy and either programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor. In addition, clinical trials involving our commercial products can raise new safety issues for our existing products, which could adversely impact our business. Further, we have in the past and we may in the future make a strategic decision to discontinue development of our product candidates, including but not limited to situations where we believe commercialization will be difficult relative to other opportunities in our pipeline. For example, in January 2024, we announced with our partner Arcus Biosciences, Inc. (“Arcus”) the discontinuation of further enrollment in the Phase 3 ARC-10 study evaluating domvanalimab plus zimberelimab in first-line locally advanced or metastatic, PD-L1-high NSCLC based on strategic prioritization to advance and potentially accelerate other Phase 3 studies in our collaboration with Arcus. Therefore, our product candidates may never be successfully commercialized, and we may be unable to recoup the significant R&D, clinical trial, acquisition-related and other expenses incurred. We expect to spend significant time and resources on our clinical trial activities without any assurance that we will recoup our investments or that our efforts will be commercially successful.
There are also risks associated with the use of third parties in our clinical trial activities. We extensively outsource our clinical trial activities and usually perform only a small portion of the start-up activities in-house. We rely on third-party contract research organizations (“CROs”) to perform most of our clinical studies, including document preparation, site identification, screening and preparation, pre-study visits, training, program management, patient enrollment, ongoing monitoring, site management and bioanalysis. Many important aspects of the services performed for us by the CROs are not within our direct control. If there is any dispute or disruption in our relationships with our CROs, including as a result of legislative or regulatory actions, our clinical trials and regulatory submissions may be delayed and our costs may increase. Moreover, in our regulatory submissions, we rely on the quality and validity of the clinical work performed by our CROs. If any of their processes, methodologies or results were determined to be invalid or inadequate, our own clinical data and results and related regulatory approvals may be adversely affected.
We may not be able to obtain materials or supplies necessary to conduct clinical trials or to manufacture and sell our products, or we may face manufacturing difficulties, delays or interruptions, including at our third-party manufacturers and corporate partners, which could limit our ability to generate revenues.
We need access to certain materials and supplies to conduct our clinical trials and to manufacture and sell our products. If we are unable to purchase enough of these materials and supplies or find suitable alternatives in a timely manner, our development efforts for our product candidates may be delayed or our ability to manufacture and sell our products could be limited. For example, in the U.S., there have been ongoing or recent shortages of certain cancer drugs that are the backbone of standard-of-care treatments, such as carboplatin and cisplatin, which are also used in R&D and clinical trials. While we have observed minimal impacts to our oncology clinical trials to date, if these shortages continue or increase in magnitude, our ongoing and future oncology clinical trials may be delayed, halted or adversely impacted.
Suppliers of key components and materials must be named in the new drug application or marketing authorization application filed with the regulatory authority for any product candidate for which we are seeking marketing approval, and significant delays can occur if the qualification of a new supplier is required. Our products, which are manufactured at our own facilities or by third-party contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) and corporate partners, are the result of complex, highly regulated manufacturing processes. We depend on CMOs and corporate partners to perform manufacturing activities effectively and on a timely basis for the majority of our active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products. These third parties are independent entities subject to their own unique operational and financial risks that are out of our control. Some of our products and the materials that we utilize in our operations are manufactured by only one supplier or at only one facility, which we may not be able to replace in a timely manner and on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. We and our CMOs and corporate partners are subject to current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”), which are extensive regulations governing manufacturing processes, stability testing, recordkeeping and quality standards as defined by FDA and European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), as well as comparable regulations in other jurisdictions. Manufacturing operations are also subject to routine inspections by regulatory agencies. Even after a supplier is qualified by the regulatory authority, the supplier must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain full compliance with cGMP. If, as a result of these inspections, a regulatory authority determines that the equipment, facilities, laboratories or processes do not comply with applicable regulations and conditions of product approval, the regulatory authority may suspend the manufacturing operations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to remedy any deficiencies cited by FDA or other regulatory agencies in their inspections. Further, there is risk that regulatory agencies in other countries where marketing applications are pending will undertake similar additional reviews or apply a heightened standard of review, which could delay the regulatory approvals for products in those countries.
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Any adverse developments affecting or resulting from any single entity within our manufacturing operations or the operations of our CMOs and corporate partners can result in shipment delays, inventory shortages, lot failures, product withdrawals or recalls or other interruptions in the development and commercial supply of our products, which may result in us not being able to generate sufficient quantities of clinical or commercial product to meet market demand and may cause delays in our clinical trials and applications for regulatory approval. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, inventory write-off charges and other expenses for products that fail to meet specifications and quality standards as well as changes we may adopt in our manufacturing strategy, and we may need to undertake costly remediation efforts or seek more costly manufacturing alternatives. Such developments could increase our manufacturing costs, cause us to lose revenues or market share and damage our reputation. Our business may be adversely affected if approval of any of our product candidates were delayed or if production of our products were interrupted.
Regulatory and Other Legal Risks
Our operations depend on compliance with complex FDA and comparable international regulations. Failure to obtain broad approvals on a timely basis or to maintain compliance, including if significant safety issues arise for our marketed products or our product candidates, could delay or halt commercialization of our products.
The products we develop must be approved for marketing and sale by regulatory authorities and, once approved, are subject to extensive regulation by FDA, EMA and comparable regulatory agencies in other countries. We have filed, and anticipate that we will continue to file, for marketing approval in additional countries and for additional indications and products. These and any future marketing applications we file may not be approved by the regulatory authorities on a timely basis, or at all. For example, in October 2022, we announced that FDA issued a complete response letter for our Biologics License Application for bulevirtide for the treatment of adults with hepatitis delta virus infection. Even if marketing approval is granted for our product candidates, there may be significant limitations on their use. We cannot state with certainty when or whether any of our product candidates under development will be approved or launched; whether we will be able to develop, license or acquire additional product candidates or products; or whether any products, once launched, will be commercially successful.
Further, how we manufacture and sell our products is subject to extensive regulation and review. For example, under FDA rules, we are often required to conduct post-approval clinical studies to assess a known serious risk, signals of serious risk or to identify an unexpected serious risk. In certain circumstances, we may be required to implement a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program for our products, which could include a medication guide, patient package insert, a communication plan to healthcare providers, restrictions on distribution or use of a product and other elements FDA deems necessary to assure safe use of the drug. Discovery of previously unknown problems with our marketed products or product candidates, including serious safety, resistance or drug interaction issues, or problems with our manufacturing, safety reporting or promotional activities, may result in regulatory approvals being delayed, denied or granted with significant restrictions on our products, including limitations on or the withdrawal of the products from the market.
As additional studies are conducted after obtaining marketing approval for our products, and as our products are used over longer periods of time by many patients, including patients with underlying health problems or those taking other medicines, we expect to continue finding new issues related to safety, resistance or drug interactions. Any such issues may require changes to our product labels, such as additional warnings, contraindications or even narrowed indications, or the halt of product sales.
Regulatory authorities have been moving towards more active and transparent pharmacovigilance and are making greater amounts of stand-alone safety information and clinical trial data directly available to the public through websites and other means, such as periodic safety update report summaries, risk management plan summaries and various adverse event data. Safety information, without the appropriate context and expertise, may be misinterpreted and lead to misperception or legal action.
Failure to comply with these or other requirements imposed by FDA could result in significant civil monetary penalties, fines, suspensions of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products and criminal prosecutions.
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We are impacted by evolving laws, regulations and legislative or regulatory actions applicable to the healthcare industry.
The healthcare industry is subject to various federal, state and international laws and regulations pertaining to drug approval, manufacturing, reimbursement, rebates, price reporting, healthcare fraud and abuse, and data privacy and security. In the U.S., these laws include anti-kickback and false claims laws, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, laws and regulations relating to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and other federal and state programs, such as the Medicaid Rebate Statute and the 340B statute, laws that regulate written and verbal communications about our products, individual state laws relating to pricing and sales and marketing practices, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and other federal and state laws relating to the privacy and security of health information, including the Executive Order on Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data, which may impact how and where clinical and other sensitive data is shared, accessed and analyzed, and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern issued in February 2024. Actual or alleged violations of these laws or any related regulations may be punishable by criminal and/or civil sanctions, including, in some instances, substantial fines, civil monetary penalties, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense health programs, actions against executives overseeing our business and significant remediation measures, negative publicity or other consequences. These laws and regulations are broad in scope and subject to changing and evolving interpretations, including as a result of legal challenges, which may increase following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overrule the Chevron doctrine, any of which could require us to incur substantial costs associated with compliance, alter one or more of our sales or marketing practices, or impact our ability to obtain or maintain regulatory approvals. The resulting impact on our business is uncertain and could be material. Additionally, recently proposed legislation in the U.S., such as the BIOSECURE Act (which, among other things, could prohibit U.S. executive agencies from contracting with, or expending loans or granting funds to, companies that use biotechnology equipment or services for certain activities from certain foreign-owned entities), has the potential to adversely impact our ability to receive equipment or services from such entities, including certain of which we use in connection with our clinical trials and our clinical and commercial manufacturing, which could increase the cost or limit the supply of material available to us, delay the procurement or supply of such material, delay or impact clinical trials and regulatory submissions, delay the launch of commercial products and adversely affect our financial condition and business prospects.
In addition, government price reporting and payment regulations are complex, and we are continually assessing the methods by which we calculate and report pricing in accordance with these obligations. Our methodologies for calculations are inherently subject to assumptions and may be subject to review and challenge by various government agencies, which may disagree with our interpretation. If the government disagrees with our reported calculations, we may need to restate previously reported data and could be subject to additional financial and legal liability.
There also continues to be enhanced scrutiny of company-sponsored patient assistance programs, including co-pay assistance programs and manufacturer donations to third-party charities that provide such assistance. There has also been enhanced scrutiny by governments on reimbursement support offerings and other patient support offerings, clinical education programs and promotional speaker programs. Despite our training and compliance program, our internal control policies and procedures may not protect us from unlawful acts committed by our employees or agents. If we, or our agents and vendors, are deemed to have failed to comply with laws, regulations or government guidance in any of these areas, we could be subject to criminal or civil sanctions. Any similar violations by our competitors could also negatively impact our industry’s reputation and increase scrutiny over our business and our products.
For a description of our government investigations and related litigation, see Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to obtain and defend our patents and other intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally, and to operate without infringing upon the patents or other proprietary rights of third parties.
Patents and other proprietary rights are very important to our business. As part of our business strategy, we actively seek patent protection both in the U.S. and internationally covering our compounds, products and technology. Our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to obtain patents and licenses to patent rights, enforce our patents and defend against infringement of our patents and efforts to invalidate them, operate without infringing on the intellectual property of others, and preserve trade secrets and internal know-how.
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Our pending patent applications and the patent applications filed by our collaborative partners may not be able to prevent third parties from developing compounds or products that are closely related to those which we have developed or are developing. In addition, certain countries do not provide effective mechanisms for enforcement of our patents, and third-party manufacturers may be able to sell generic versions of our products in those countries. Because patent applications are confidential for a period of time after filing, we may not know if our competitors have filed applications for technology covered by our pending applications or if we were the first to file an application directed toward the technology that is the subject of our patent applications. If competitors file patent applications covering our technology, we may have to participate in litigation, post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or other proceedings to determine the right to a patent or validity of any patent granted. Such litigation and proceedings are unpredictable and expensive, and could divert management attention from other operations, such that, even if we are ultimately successful, we may be adversely impacted.
Patents covering our existing compounds, products and processes, and those that we will likely file in the future, may not provide complete or adequate protection. Filing patent applications is a fact-intensive and complex process. We may file patent applications that ultimately do not result in patents or have patents that do not provide adequate protection for the related product. Patent term extensions may be available for products we are developing, but we cannot be certain we will obtain them. Future litigation or other proceedings regarding the enforcement or validity of our existing patents or any future patents could result in the invalidation of our patents or substantially reduce their protection. In addition, we may face criticism as a result of our legitimate use of the patent systems to protect our investments in new and useful innovations in medicine. Further, incentives and exclusivities relating to our products and product candidates may change in the future. We are aware that several countries are considering changes to support sharing how to make and use new inventions that could impact the current patent systems and protections for innovation. Any such changes could also impact the voluntary licensing patent programs that we establish for our products to support access to medicines.
Generic manufacturers have sought, and may continue to seek, FDA approval to market generic versions of our products through an abbreviated new drug application (“ANDA”), the application process typically used by manufacturers seeking approval of a generic drug. For a description of our ANDA litigation, see Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. ANDA litigation and related settlement and license agreements, in some cases, may result in a loss of exclusivity for our patents sooner than we would otherwise expect. In addition, loss of exclusivity may be earlier than expected under these settlement and license agreements under certain circumstances. For example, settlement and license agreements with generic manufacturers typically include acceleration clauses that permit generic entry before the agreed-upon entry date in certain circumstances, and generic manufacturers may continue to challenge the patents protecting our products. The entry of generic versions of our products has, and may in the future, lead to market share and price erosion.
If we are found to infringe the valid patents of third parties, we may be required to pay significant monetary damages or we may be prevented from commercializing products or may be required to obtain licenses from these third parties. We may not be able to obtain alternative technologies or any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain these licenses or alternative technologies, we may be unable to develop or commercialize some or all of our products. For example, we are aware of patents and patent applications owned by other parties that such parties may claim to cover the use of our products and research activities. For a description of our pending patent litigation, see Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Furthermore, we also rely on unpatented trade secrets and improvements, unpatented internal know-how and technological innovation. We protect these rights mainly through confidentiality agreements with our corporate partners, employees, consultants and vendors. We cannot be certain that these parties will comply with these confidentiality agreements, that we have adequate remedies for any breach or that our trade secrets, internal know-how or technological innovation will not otherwise become known or be independently discovered by our competitors. Under some of our R&D agreements, inventions become jointly owned by us and our corporate partner and in other cases become the exclusive property of one party. In certain circumstances, it can be difficult to determine who owns a particular invention and disputes could arise regarding those inventions. We could be adversely affected if our trade secrets, internal know-how, technological innovation or confidential information become known or independently discovered by competitors or if we enter into disputes over ownership of inventions.
We face potentially significant liability and increased expenses from litigation and government investigations relating to our products and operations.
We are involved in a number of litigation, investigation and other dispute-related matters that require us to expend substantial internal and financial resources. From time to time, these matters require us to pay significant monetary amounts, including royalty payments for past and future sales. We expect these matters will continue to require a high level of internal and financial resources for the foreseeable future. These matters have reduced, and are expected to continue to reduce, our earnings and require significant management attention.
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In addition, the testing, manufacturing, marketing and use of our commercial products, as well as product candidates in development, involve substantial risk of product liability claims. These claims may be made directly by consumers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies or others. We have limited insurance for product liabilities that may arise and claims may exceed our coverage.
For a description of our litigation, investigation and other dispute-related matters, see Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The outcome of such legal proceedings or any other legal proceedings that may be brought against us, the investigations or any other investigations that may be initiated and any other dispute-related matters, are inherently uncertain, and adverse developments or outcomes can result in significant expenses, monetary damages, penalties or injunctive relief against us.
Operational Risks
Our business has been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by outbreaks of epidemic, pandemic or contagious diseases.
Actual or threatened outbreaks of epidemic, pandemic or contagious diseases, or other public health emergencies, may significantly disrupt our global operations and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. As we have seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks can result in global supply chain and logistics disruptions and distribution constraints. The impact of an outbreak or other public health crisis on our results of operations and financial condition would depend on numerous evolving factors, but could involve higher operating expenses, lower demand for our products as a result of governmental, business and individuals’ actions taken in response to such an event (including quarantines, travel restrictions and interruptions to healthcare services, which can impact enrollment in or operation of our clinical trials or limit patients’ ability or willingness to access and seek care), challenges associated with the safety of our employees and safe occupancy of our job sites, and financial market volatility and significant macroeconomic uncertainty in global markets. An outbreak or public health emergency also could amplify many of the other risks described throughout the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We face risks associated with our global operations.
Our global operations are accompanied by certain financial, political, economic and other risks, including those listed below:
•Foreign Currency Exchange: Because a significant percentage of our product sales is denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, we face exposure to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Overall, we are a net receiver of foreign currencies, and therefore, we benefit from a weaker U.S. dollar and are adversely affected by a stronger U.S. dollar. Our hedging program does not eliminate our exposure to currency fluctuations. We may be adversely impacted if the U.S. dollar appreciates significantly against certain currencies and our hedging program does not sufficiently offset the effects of such appreciation. For example, see “Foreign Currency Exchange Impact” in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of our exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily in the Euro, and the impacts from foreign currency exchange, net of hedges, for the year ended December 31, 2024.
•Interest Rates and Inflation: We have interest-generating assets and interest-bearing liabilities, including our senior unsecured notes and credit facilities. Fluctuations in interest rates could expose us to increased financial risk. In addition, high inflation, such as what we have seen in recent years, has adversely impacted and may in the future adversely impact our business and financial results.
•Anti-Bribery: We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws that govern our international operations with respect to payments to government officials. Our international operations are heavily regulated and require significant interaction with foreign officials. We operate in parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree. In certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices or may require us to interact with doctors and hospitals, some of which may be state-controlled, in a manner that is different than local custom. It is possible that certain of our practices may be challenged under these laws. In addition, our internal control policies and procedures may not protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees and agents. Enforcement activities under anti-bribery laws could subject us to administrative and legal proceedings and actions, which could result in civil and criminal sanctions, including monetary penalties and exclusion from healthcare programs.
Other risks inherent in conducting a global business include:
•Restrictive government actions against our intellectual property and other assets such as nationalization, expropriation, the imposition of compulsory licenses or similar actions, including waiver of intellectual property protections.
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•Changes in economic policies by the U.S. or foreign governments, which may result in trade protection measures, such as new or increased sanctions, tariffs, embargoes, import and export licensing requirements or other trade restrictions, or the threat of such restrictions.
•Political instability or disruption in a geographic region where we operate, regardless of cause, including war, terrorism, social unrest and political changes, including in China, Russia, Ukraine, Israel and surrounding areas.
•Increasing use of social media platforms and modern technologies present new risks and challenges, and inappropriate or unauthorized use of these platforms can result in exposure of sensitive data or information and damage our brand and reputation.
Climate change and natural disasters, as well as legal, regulatory, or market measures to address climate change, can negatively affect our business and operations.
Many of our operations and facilities, including those essential to our manufacturing, R&D and commercialization/distribution activities, are located in regions subject to natural or man-made disasters, such as climate change, earthquakes, hurricanes, rising sea levels and flooding, fires, extreme heat, drought or other extreme weather conditions, or efforts taken by third parties to prevent or mitigate such disasters, such as public safety power shutoffs and facility shutdowns. The severity and frequency of weather-related events has been amplified, and is expected to continue to be amplified, by climate change. Such natural disasters have caused, and in the future may cause, damage to and/or disrupt our operations, which may result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Additionally, our corporate headquarters in Foster City and certain R&D and manufacturing facilities are located in California, a region that is seismically active and prone to wildfires. Although we have business continuity plans and contingencies in place and conduct periodic assessments of our natural disaster risk as part of our overall enterprise risk management program, a major earthquake or other natural disaster can result in significant recovery time and a prolonged interruption to our operational and business activities. We may be required to incur significant costs to remedy the effects of such natural disasters and to resume or restore our operations, which could adversely impact us. Our suppliers and third-party manufacturers and corporate partners face similar risks, and any disruption to their operations could have an adverse effect on our manufacturing and supply chain.
In addition, growing concern regarding climate change has resulted in an evolving legal and regulatory landscape, with new requirements enacted to prevent, mitigate or adapt to the implications of climate change. These regulations, which can differ across jurisdictions, subject us to many transition risks, including, for example, new or expanded carbon pricing or taxes, increased compliance costs, restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, investment in new technologies, increased carbon disclosure and transparency, investments in data gathering and reporting systems, upgrades of facilities to meet new building codes and the redesign of utility systems, which could increase the company’s operating costs, including the cost of electricity and energy. For example, over 80 countries committed to the United Nations COP26 Health Programme’s initiatives on climate resilient and low carbon sustainable health systems. As such, there is an increasing expectation for the health sector to implement commitments to decarbonize and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and we may be required to incur material costs in order to do so. Failure to sufficiently decarbonize or comply with climate-related requirements may threaten our ability to operate in certain geographies and negatively affect our business. At the same time, we may also face negative impacts from stakeholders who do not support climate-related initiatives or concerns. Regulatory efforts, both internationally and in the U.S., are evolving, including the international alignment of such efforts, and we cannot determine what final regulations will be enacted, modified or reversed or what their ultimate impact on our business will be. Our suppliers and third-party manufacturers and corporate partners face similar transition risks that could have an adverse effect on our business.
Our aspirations, goals and disclosures related to corporate responsibility matters expose us to numerous risks, including risks to our reputation and stock price.
Some institutional and individual investors continue to use environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) screening criteria to determine whether Gilead qualifies for inclusion in their investment portfolios. We are frequently asked by investors and other stakeholders to set ambitious ESG goals and provide new and more robust disclosure on goals, progress toward goals and other matters of interest to ESG stakeholders. In response, we have adapted the tracking and reporting of our corporate responsibility program to various evolving ESG frameworks, and we have established and announced goals and other objectives related to ESG matters. These goal statements reflect our current plans and aspirations and are not guarantees that we will be able to achieve them. Our efforts to accomplish and accurately report on these goals and objectives present numerous operational, reputational, financial, legal and other risks, any of which could have a material negative impact, including on our reputation and stock price.
Our ability to achieve any corporate responsibility goal or objective is subject to numerous risks, many of which are outside of our control. Examples of such risks include: (1) the availability and cost of low- or non-carbon-based energy sources and technologies, (2) evolving regulatory requirements affecting ESG standards or disclosures, (3) the availability of suppliers that can meet our corporate responsibility and related standards, (4) our ability to recruit, develop and retain qualified talent in our labor markets and (5) the impact of our organic growth and acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or operations.
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The standards for tracking and reporting on ESG matters are relatively new, have not been harmonized and continue to evolve. Our selection of disclosure frameworks that seek to align with various reporting standards may change from time to time and may result in a lack of consistent or meaningful comparative data from period to period. In addition, regulatory authorities have begun to impose mandatory disclosure requirements with respect to ESG matters, such as regulations proposed or adopted by federal agencies related to climate-related disclosures, claims, practices or initiatives, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and California’s Climate-Related Financial Risk Act and the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. Our processes and controls may not reflect evolving standards for identifying, measuring and reporting ESG matters, immediately or at all, our interpretation of reporting standards may differ from those of others, and such standards may change over time, any of which could result in significant revisions to our goals or reported progress in achieving such goals. In addition, enhancements to our processes and controls to reflect evolving reporting standards may be costly and require additional resources.
Investor and other stakeholder expectations and standards for ESG practices are varied and evolving, and may be inconsistent with our ESG practices. It is not possible for our ESG practices to satisfy all investors and stakeholders, and our reputation, our ability to attract or retain employees and our attractiveness as an investment, business partner or acquiror could be negatively impacted. Similarly, our pursuit of ESG practices, as well as our failure or perceived failure to pursue or fulfill our goals, targets and objectives, or to satisfy various reporting standards within the timelines we announce, or at all, could also have similar negative impacts and expose us to government enforcement actions, stakeholder criticism or negative campaigns, and private litigation.
We depend on relationships with third parties for sales and marketing performance, technology, development, logistics and commercialization of products. Failure to maintain these relationships, poor performance by these companies or disputes with these third parties could negatively impact our business.
We rely on a number of collaborative relationships with third parties for our sales and marketing performance in certain territories. In some countries, we rely on international distributors for sales of certain of our products. Some of these relationships also involve the clinical development of these products by our partners. Reliance on collaborative relationships poses a number of risks, including the risk that:
•we are unable to control the resources our corporate partners devote to our programs or products;
•disputes may arise with respect to the ownership of rights to technology developed with our corporate partners;
•disagreements with our corporate partners could cause delays in, or termination of, the research, development or commercialization of product candidates or result in litigation or arbitration;
•contracts with our corporate partners may fail to provide significant protection or may fail to be effectively enforced if one of these partners fails to perform;
•our corporate partners have considerable discretion in electing whether to pursue the development of any additional products and may pursue alternative technologies or products either on their own or in collaboration with our competitors;
•our corporate partners with marketing rights may choose to pursue competing technologies or to devote fewer resources to the marketing of our products than they do to products of their own development; and
•our distributors and our corporate partners may be unable to pay us.
Given these risks, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the success of our current and future collaborative efforts. If these efforts fail, our product development or commercialization of new products could be delayed or revenues from products could decline.
Due to the specialized and technical nature of our business, the failure to attract, develop and retain highly qualified personnel could adversely impact us.
Our future success will depend in large part on our continued ability to attract, develop and retain highly qualified scientific, technical and management personnel, as well as personnel with expertise in clinical testing, governmental regulation and commercialization. Our ability to do so also depends in part on how well we maintain a strong workplace culture that is attractive to employees. In addition, competition for qualified personnel in the biopharmaceutical field is intense, and there is a limited pool of qualified potential employees to recruit. We face competition for personnel from other companies, universities, public and private research institutions, government entities and other organizations. Furthermore, changes to immigration and work authorization laws and regulations could make it more difficult for employees to work in or transfer to one of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Additionally, we periodically make adjustments, including to the size and composition of our workforce, to reflect our personnel needs in response to changing macroeconomic conditions, market opportunities, management changes, acquisitions, cost levels and other internal and external considerations, which may adversely impact our workplace culture and ability to retain and incentivize employees.
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The failure to successfully implement or upgrade enterprise resource planning and other information systems could adversely impact our business and results of operations.
We periodically implement or upgrade new or enhanced enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) and other information systems in order to better manage our business operations, align our global organizations and enable future growth. Implementation or upgrade of new business processes and information systems requires the commitment of significant personnel, training and financial resources, and entails risks to our business operations. If we do not successfully implement ERP and other information systems improvements, or if there are delays or difficulties in implementing these systems, we may not realize anticipated productivity improvements or cost efficiencies, and we may experience operational difficulties and challenges in effectively managing our business, all of which could result in quality issues, reputational harm, lost market and revenue opportunities, and otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
For example, we are currently in the process of implementing new ERP and other information systems to help us manage our operations and financial reporting. Costs and risks inherent in this transition may include disruptions to business continuity, administrative and technical problems, interruptions or delays in sales, manufacturing or R&D processes, expenditure overruns, delays in paying our suppliers and employees, and data migration issues. If we do not properly address or mitigate these issues, this could result in increased costs and diversion of resources, negatively impacting our operating results and ability to effectively manage our business. Additionally, if we do not effectively implement the ERP system as planned, or the ERP system does not operate as intended, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could be negatively affected.
Information system service interruptions or breaches, including significant cybersecurity incidents, could give rise to legal liability and regulatory action under data protection and privacy laws and adversely affect our business and operations.
We are dependent upon information technology systems, infrastructure and data. For example, our Kite Konnect platform is critical to maintain chain of identity and chain of custody for our cell therapies. The multitude and complexity of our computer systems make them inherently vulnerable to service interruption or destruction, including those caused by failures during system upgrades or implementations, user error, network or hardware failure, malicious intrusion and ransomware attack. Likewise, data privacy or cybersecurity incidents or breaches by employees or others, including the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence tools, can result in the exposure of sensitive data, including our intellectual property or trade secrets or the personal information of our employees, patients, customers or other business partners to unauthorized persons or to the public. If our information systems or third-party information systems on which we rely suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown, including during upgrades or new implementations, and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, we could experience delays in reporting our financial results, and we may lose revenue and profits as a result of our inability to timely manufacture, distribute, invoice and collect payments.
Cybersecurity attacks and incidents are increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity. Malicious actors seek to steal money, gain unauthorized access to, destroy or manipulate data, and disrupt operations, and some of their attacks may not be recognized or discovered until after a significant period of time well after initial entry into the environment, such as novel or zero-day attacks that are launched before patches are available and defenses can be readied. Malicious actors are also increasingly developing methods to avoid prevention, detection and alerting capabilities, including employing counter-forensic tactics making response activities more difficult. Such attacks and incidents include, for example, the deployment of harmful malware, exploitation of vulnerabilities, computer viruses, key loggers, ransomware, denial-of-service, social engineering and other means to affect service reliability and operations and threaten data confidentiality, integrity and availability. Recent developments in the threat landscape include the use of increasingly sophisticated and evolving artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. Our business and technology partners face similar risks, and any security breach of their systems could adversely affect our security posture.
Like many companies, we have experienced and expect to continue to be the target of cybersecurity incidents, including data breaches and temporary service interruptions. When cybersecurity incidents occur, our policy is to respond and address them in accordance with applicable governmental regulations and other legal requirements, including our cybersecurity protocols. There can be no assurance that our efforts in response to cybersecurity incidents, as well as our investments to protect our information technology infrastructure and data, will shield us from significant losses, brand and reputational harm and potential liability or prevent any future interruption or breach of our systems. Such cybersecurity incidents can cause the loss of critical or sensitive information, including personal information, and could give rise to legal liability and regulatory action under data protection and privacy laws. Financial, legal, business, or reputational losses may result from a cybersecurity incident or breach of our information technology systems.
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Regulators globally are also imposing data privacy and security requirements, such as EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and other domestic data privacy and security laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act. These and other similar types of laws and regulations that have been or may be passed, often include requirements with respect to personal information, and non-compliance with such laws may result in liability through private actions (subject to statutorily defined damages in the event of certain data breaches) and government enforcement. Other changes or new laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of personal information, could greatly increase our cost of providing our products and services or even prevent us from offering certain services in jurisdictions in which we operate.
Strategic and Financial Risks
We are subject to risks associated with engaging in business acquisitions, licensing arrangements, collaborations, options, equity investments, asset divestitures and other strategic transactions.
We have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, such transactions as part of our business strategy. We may not identify suitable transactions in the future and, if we do, we may not complete such transactions in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, or at all, including the possibility that a governmental entity or regulatory body may delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction. If we are successful in making an acquisition or closing a licensing arrangement or collaboration, the products, intellectual property and technologies that are acquired or licensed may not be successful or may require significantly greater resources and investments than anticipated. As required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, we conduct annual impairment testing of our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets in the fourth quarter or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the assets are impaired. We have in the past and may in the future need to recognize impairment charges related to the products, intellectual property and technologies that are acquired or licensed as a result of such testing. For example, we recorded partial impairment charges during the three months ended March 31, 2024 in connection with our Phase 3 EVOKE-01 study evaluating sacituzumab govitecan-hziy and during the three months ended September 30, 2024 following the strategic decision to discontinue our clinical development program in metastatic NSCLC for Trodelvy in the second-line indication (for more information, see Note 9. Goodwill and Intangible Assets of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K). We also continue to monitor the progression of our in-process research and development assets related to sacituzumab govitecan-hziy for non-small cell lung cancer and bulevirtide for chronic hepatitis D virus for treatment primarily in the U.S. and may need to evaluate these items for impairment prior to the fourth quarter if there are any events or circumstances in our ongoing development activities indicating it is more like than not that these assets might be impaired. For option structured deals, there is no assurance that we will elect to exercise our option right, and it is possible that disagreements, uncertainties or other circumstances may arise, including with respect to whether our option rights have been appropriately triggered, which may hinder our ability to realize the expected benefits. For equity investments in our strategic partners, such as in connection with our collaborations with Arcus, Galapagos NV and Arcellx, Inc., the value of our equity investments may fluctuate and decline in value. If we are not successful in the execution or implementation of these transactions, our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations may be adversely affected, and our stock price could decline.
We have paid substantial amounts of cash and incurred additional debt to finance our strategic transactions. Additional indebtedness and a lower cash balance could result in a downgrade of our credit ratings, limit our ability to borrow additional funds or refinance existing debt on favorable terms, increase our vulnerability to adverse economic or industry conditions, and reduce our financial flexibility to continue with our capital investments, stock repurchases and dividend payments. We may be adversely impacted by any failure to overcome these additional risks.
Changes in our effective income tax rate could reduce our earnings.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. Due to economic and political conditions, various countries are actively considering and have made changes to existing tax laws, and we cannot predict the form or timing of such changes. Our effective tax rates are affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, the introduction of new taxes, and changes in tax laws, regulations, administrative practices and interpretations, including in the U.S., Germany and Ireland.
We are also subject to the examination of our tax returns and other tax matters by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and tax authorities in various foreign jurisdictions. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations and, as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We may be adversely affected by the resolution of one or more of these exposures in any reporting period.
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ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
ITEM 1C.CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
Processes Used to Assess, Identify, and Manage Material Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
Risk Assessment and Management
We manage material risks from cybersecurity threats through a cross-functional and layered approach that is designed to detect, identify, respond to, recover from and protect from cybersecurity incidents and is informed by industry recognized standards.
Our security governance function, which includes key employees who work in Information Security, Legal, and Privacy teams, such as our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) and Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”), are responsible for establishing and implementing cybersecurity policies and procedures, which includes developing and updating our enterprise Incident Response Plan (“IRP”), managing incident response, and overseeing any policy exceptions and potential compensating controls.
Additionally, we assess our cybersecurity maturity annually and implement and maintain controls that are designed to evaluate and improve our cybersecurity program, such as vulnerability assessments and penetration tests, as needed. We also execute employee cybersecurity training and awareness programs around various key cybersecurity topics, including reporting incidents, phishing, ransomware, remote working, cloud security, privileged access and removable media.
Our process for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats is integrated into our overall risk management process. We have a robust enterprise risk management (“ERM”) program that plays an important role in seeking to manage and address existing and emerging risks, including cybersecurity risks, which are critical to our overall business goals and objectives. The ERM team updates our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and his leadership team on cybersecurity risks as well as their potential impact, likelihood, potential mitigation plan and status.
Engagement of Third-Party Advisors
We engage third-party advisors, including assessors and cybersecurity consultants, to assess, validate and enhance our cybersecurity program. We benefit from engaging third parties to provide specialized skills, knowledge, tools and resources. These third parties also help reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve quality, mitigate risks and review cybersecurity strategy, trends and threat landscape.
Incident Response
We have a dedicated Information Security team responsible for managing and coordinating incident response efforts. This team collaborates closely with other teams within the company, including teams within information technology (“IT”), Legal and Privacy, in identifying, analyzing and responding to cybersecurity incidents, which includes tracking cybersecurity incidents to help identify any related incidents. When cybersecurity incidents are identified, our practice is to respond to and address them utilizing incident classifications and escalation protocols, in accordance with applicable governmental regulations and other legal requirements. Where necessary or appropriate, we also engage third-party advisors to assist in the incident response process.
We have an IRP to prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents. Our IRP processes are tested in annual tabletop exercises to help identify strengths and areas for improvement. Under the IRP, cybersecurity incidents are escalated based on a defined incident severity to management as appropriate.
Third-Party Service Provider Risk Management
We have a process in place to oversee and identify risks from cybersecurity threats associated with our use of key third-party service providers during the course of engagement. The company uses an external risk management software program to identify, assess, monitor and mitigate risks associated with third-party relationships, including cybersecurity risks. Our vendor security assessment process evaluates key vendors and, where appropriate, assesses vendor’s controls for IT security, privacy, business continuity and other third-party risks. Following an evaluation, the company determines and prioritizes risks based on their potential impact, which helps inform the appropriate level of additional due diligence and ongoing compliance monitoring. The third-party risk assessment is a cross-functional effort involving our end-user, Legal, Privacy and Information Security teams.
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Material Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
Like many companies, we face cybersecurity threats and have experienced cybersecurity incidents, including data breaches and temporary service interruptions. However, since the beginning of fiscal year 2024, the company has not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats or incidents that have materially affected us or are reasonably likely to materially affect us. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that our efforts in response to cybersecurity incidents, as well as our investments to protect our IT infrastructure and data, will shield us from significant losses, brand and reputational harm and potential liability or prevent any future interruption or breach of our systems. Such cybersecurity incidents can cause the loss of critical or sensitive information, including personal information, and could give rise to legal liability and regulatory action under data protection and privacy laws. For additional information on cybersecurity risks we face, see Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Information system service interruptions or breaches, including significant cybersecurity incidents, could give rise to legal liability and regulatory action under data protection and privacy laws and adversely affect our business and operations.”
Cybersecurity Governance
Board Oversight of Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
Our Board of Directors plays an important role in overseeing cybersecurity risks. Our Board of Directors has established an oversight structure for monitoring the effectiveness of and risks related to the cybersecurity program. The Audit Committee has been designated by the Board to oversee cybersecurity and information technology risks. The Audit Committee receives quarterly cybersecurity updates from our CISO, and the chair of the Audit Committee meets with the CISO individually on a quarterly basis. These updates often address topics such as ongoing efforts to improve our cybersecurity posture, operational metrics, incident metrics and mitigation actions, and may include key metrics such as those related to cybersecurity maturity, risk reduction, cybersecurity program health, and audit and compliance activities. The Audit Committee updates the Board on its activities at each regularly scheduled Board meeting. Updates related to cybersecurity are provided to the Board on an annual basis as part of an overall ERM update. In addition to this regular reporting, significant cybersecurity events may also be escalated on an as-needed basis through the company’s organizational structure in accordance with the IRP.
Management’s Role in Assessing and Managing Material Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
Our CISO, supported by a cross-functional team, has primary responsibility for assessing and managing our cybersecurity program and the related risks. Details of the risk management and escalation processes are discussed in “Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy” above.The CISO has over 30 years of IT and cybersecurity experience in large biopharmaceutical, life sciences, financial and technology industries, including over ten years with the company, and is responsible for managing the security architecture, engineering, technology operations, monitoring, incident response, risk, governance, quality and compliance at the company.
The company’s Information Security function is comprised of teams that engage in a range of cybersecurity activities such as security operations, security engineering, data privacy controls, validation, compliance and audit readiness. Leaders of each team are expected to collaborate to help increase visibility of key issues and alignment with strategy. As noted above, the company’s IRP includes standard processes for escalating significant cybersecurity incidents to management, including the CISO. The company’s incident response team also coordinates with external legal advisors, cybersecurity forensic firms, communication specialists, and other outside advisors and experts, as appropriate.
ITEM 2.PROPERTIES
Our corporate headquarters are located in Foster City, California, where we house our administrative, manufacturing and R&D activities. We also have administrative facilities in Raleigh, North Carolina; Parsippany, New Jersey; and Washington, D.C., and we have R&D facilities in Oceanside and Santa Monica, California; Frederick, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Edmonton, Canada; Dublin, Ireland; and Cambridge and Oxford, United Kingdom. Our principal manufacturing facilities are in El Segundo, La Verne, Oceanside and Santa Monica, California; Frederick, Maryland; Edmonton, Canada; Cork, Ireland and Hoofddorp, Netherlands. For more information about our manufacturing facilities, see Item 1. Business “Raw Materials and Manufacturing.” Our global operations include offices in Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa, Australia and the Middle East.
We believe that our existing properties, including both owned and leased sites, are adequate and suitable for the conduct of our business. We believe our capital resources are sufficient to purchase, lease or construct any additional facilities required to meet our expected long-term growth needs.
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ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For a description of our significant pending legal proceedings, see Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies - Legal Proceedings of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GILD.”
Holders
As of February 21, 2025, we had approximately 1,339 stockholders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we paid quarterly dividends. We expect to continue to pay quarterly dividends, although the amount and timing of any future dividends are subject to declaration by our Board of Directors. Additional information is included in Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity of Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” of Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Securities Authorized For Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table provides certain information with respect to our equity compensation plans in effect as of December 31, 2024:
Plan Category (a) (b) (c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan(2) 23.8
Total equity compensation plans approved by security holders 34.7 $ 69.85 93.7
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders — $ — —
_______________________________
(1) Includes 23 million restricted stock units and performance share units. These awards have no exercise price and are not included in the weighted-average exercise price of outstanding awards.
(2) Under our Employee Stock Purchase Plan, participants are permitted to purchase our common stock at a discount on certain dates through payroll deductions within a pre-determined purchase period. Accordingly, these numbers are not determinable.
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Performance Graph(1)
The following graph compares our cumulative total stockholder return for the past five years to two indices: the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (“S&P 500 Index”) and the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (“NBI Index”). The stockholder return shown on the graph below is not necessarily indicative of future performance, and we do not make or endorse any predictions as to future stockholder returns.
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return on Investment for the Past Five Years(2)
_______________________________
(1) This section is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference in any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.
(2) Shows the cumulative return on investment assuming an investment of $100 in our common stock, the NBI Index and the S&P 500 Index on December 31, 2019, and assuming that all dividends were reinvested.
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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
In the first quarter of 2020, our Board of Directors authorized a $5.0 billion stock repurchase program (“2020 Program”), with no fixed expiration. Purchases under the 2020 Program may be made in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, but the program does not obligate us to repurchase any specific number of shares and may be amended, suspended or discontinued at any time. We started repurchases under the 2020 Program in December 2022.
The table below summarizes our stock repurchase activity for the three months ended December 31, 2024:
_______________________________
(1) The difference between the total number of shares purchased and the total number of shares purchased as part of a publicly announced program is due to shares of common stock withheld by us from employee restricted stock awards in order to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis is intended to provide material information around events and uncertainties known to management that are relevant to an assessment of the financial condition and results of operations of Gilead and should therefore be read in conjunction with our audited Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes thereto and other disclosures included as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including the disclosures under Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors). Additional information related to the comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources between the years 2023 and 2022 is included in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our 2023 Form 10-K filed with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Management Overview
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (including its consolidated subsidiaries, referred to as “Gilead,” the “company,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. We are committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), cancer and inflammation. We operate in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.
Our strategic ambitions are to (i) bring 10+ transformative therapies to patients by 2030 (tracking since 2020); (ii) be a biotech employer and partner of choice; and (iii) deliver shareholder value in a sustainable and responsible manner. Our strategic priorities to deliver on these ambitions include: (i) maximize near-term revenue growth; (ii) maximize impact of long-acting HIV therapies; and (iii) expand and deliver on oncology programs.
Year in Review
During 2024, we delivered growth in our HIV, Oncology and Liver Disease product sales and continued to invest in our business and research and development (“R&D”) pipeline through advancement of our portfolio and broadening of available therapies, including through acquisitions and collaborations. Meanwhile, we maintained our financial position through repayment of senior notes coming due and the issuance of new senior notes, and provided shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases. The following represents a summary of notable business updates and events during 2024, including certain items from our press releases, which readers are encouraged to review in full as available on our website at www.gilead.com. The content on the referenced website does not constitute a part of and is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Virology
•Completed the New Drug Application submissions to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention.
•Announced results of PURPOSE 2, the second Phase 3 study of twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention, with data presented at the HIV Research for Prevention Conference. In the lenacapavir group, 99.9% of participants did not acquire HIV infection, with two incident cases among 2,179 participants. Lenacapavir reduced HIV infections by 96% compared to background HIV incidence in cisgender men and gender-diverse people, and additionally demonstrated superiority to daily Truvada (89% relative risk reduction). Lenacapavir was generally well-tolerated and no significant or new safety concerns were identified. The use of lenacapavir for the prevention of HIV is investigational.
Oncology
•Received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from FDA to Trodelvy for the treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (“ES-SCLC”) whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. The use of Trodelvy in ES-SCLC is investigational.
•Announced plans to voluntarily withdraw the U.S. accelerated approval of Trodelvy for use in pre-treated adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer, following the results of the Phase 3 TROPiCS-04 trial announced in May 2024.
•Incurred partial impairment charges related to in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) assets acquired by Gilead from Immunomedics, Inc. in 2020 as a result of our evaluation of the Phase 3 EVOKE-01 study data and a strategic decision to discontinue our clinical development program in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”) for Trodelvy in the second-line indication (see further information in “Results of Operations; In-Process Research and Development Impairments” below).
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Inflammation
•Received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (“EMA”) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommending seladelpar for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (“PBC”) in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (“UDCA”) in adults who have an inadequate response to UDCA alone, or as monotherapy in those unable to tolerate UDCA.
•Received accelerated approval from FDA for Livdelzi for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis in combination with UDCA in adults who have had an inadequate response to UDCA, or as monotherapy in patients unable to tolerate UDCA.
•Entered into an amended license agreement featuring the buy-out of global seladelpar royalties from Janssen Pharmaceutica NV for $320 million.
•Completed the acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (“CymaBay”) for $4.3 billion in total equity value, or $3.9 billion net cash paid, adding investigational candidate seladelpar for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis to Gilead’s Liver Disease portfolio.
Other
•Announced the appointment of Dietmar Berger, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer effective January 2025.
The following table summarizes our key financial results for the year and period-over-period changes:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except percentages and per share amounts) 2024 2023 Change
Net income attributable to Gilead $ 480 $ 5,665 (92) %
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Gilead $ 0.38 $ 4.50 (92) %
Total revenues increased 6% to $28.8 billion in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to higher sales in HIV, Oncology and Liver Disease, partially offset by lower sales of Veklury.
Net income attributable to Gilead was $480 million and diluted earnings per share attributable to Gilead was $0.38 in 2024, compared to net income attributable to Gilead of $5.7 billion and $4.50 diluted earnings per share attributable to Gilead in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to:
•A pre-tax IPR&D partial impairment charge of $4.2 billion related to Trodelvy IPR&D assets; and
•Higher acquired IPR&D expenses, primarily $3.8 billion related to the acquisition of CymaBay; partially offset by
•Higher product sales; and
•Lower income tax expense.
Please refer to “Results of Operations” below for further information on 2024 results.
Outlook
As we look to 2025, we expect to see continued increases in demand for our products overall, bolstered by the growth of our HIV business. We look forward to the regulatory decisions for twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention in the U.S. under priority review as well as in the EU where we submitted a marketing authorization application in early 2025. We anticipate that strong, demand-led volume growth in 2025 will be offset by: (i) the effects of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to increase our payment obligations under the redesigned Medicare Part D discount program; (ii) an expected decrease in our Veklury product sales reflecting lower rates of COVID-19-related hospitalizations; and (iii) the impact of the U.S. dollar strengthening against major foreign currencies.
Our R&D portfolio includes over 100 pre-clinical and clinical-stage programs across our core therapeutic areas. We plan to continue investing in our business and R&D pipeline both internally and externally through partnerships and select business development transactions. For example, we entered into an agreement with LEO Pharma A/S in early 2025 to develop and commercialize their pre-clinical oral signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 programs for the potential treatment of inflammatory diseases. In addition, as part of our overall investment approach to fund the advancement of our pipeline and commercialization of our products, we will continue to focus on disciplined operating expense management.
Our ability to deliver on our strategy and 2025 objectives is subject to a number of uncertainties. Please refer to Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a listing of risk factors that could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
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Results of Operations
Revenues
The following table summarizes our Total revenues and period-over-period changes:
Product sales:
HIV
Liver Disease
Oncology
Cell Therapy
Other
_______________________________
(1) Represents our revenue from cobicistat (“C”), emtricitabine (“FTC”) and tenofovir alafenamide (“TAF”) in Symtuza (darunavir/C/FTC/TAF), a fixed dose combination product commercialized by Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company (“Janssen”). See Note 7. Collaborations and Other Arrangements of the Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsincludedinPart II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(2) Includes Atripla, Complera/Eviplera, Emtriva, Stribild, Sunlenca, Truvada and Tybost.
(3) Includes Epclusa and the authorized generic version of Epclusa sold by Gilead’s separate subsidiary, Asegua Therapeutics LLC (“Asegua”).
(4) Includes ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni and the authorized generic version of Harvoni sold by Asegua), Hepcludex, Hepsera, Livdelzi, Sovaldi, Viread and Vosevi.
(5) Includes Cayston, Jyseleca, Letairis, Ranexa and Zydelig.
HIV
HIV product sales increased 8% to $19.6 billion in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to higher demand and higher average realized price. In particular:
•Biktarvy sales increased primarily due to higher demand, including patients switching from Genvoya and other Gilead HIV products. To a lesser extent, the increase was also due to higher average realized price.
•Descovy sales increased primarily due to higher demand, partially offset by lower average realized price.
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Liver Disease
Liver Disease product sales increased 9% to $3.0 billion in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to higher demand in products for chronic hepatitis C virus, HBV and, in Europe, chronic hepatitis delta virus, as well as the launch of Livdelzi for treatment of PBC.
Veklury
Veklury product sales decreased 18% to $1.8 billion in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to decreased rates of COVID-19-related hospitalizations.
Oncology
Cell Therapy
Cell Therapy product sales increased 6% to $2.0 billion in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to increased demand outside the U.S. for Yescarta and Tecartus and higher average realized price, partially offset by lower demand in the U.S.
Trodelvy
Trodelvy product sales increased 24% to $1.3 billion in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to higher demand across all regions.
Gross-to-Net Deductions
A substantial portion of our product sales is subject to significant discounts from list price, including government and commercial rebates and chargebacks, as well as other deductions, including patient co-pay assistance, cash discounts for prompt payment, distributor fees, and sales return provisions. These deductions to product sales are generally referred to as gross-to-net deductions and are primarily a function of product sales volume, product mix, contractual or statutory discounts and estimated payer mix.
Rebates and chargebacks are based on contractual arrangements or statutory requirements and include amounts due to payers and healthcare providers under various programs. These amounts may vary by product, payer and individual plans. Providers qualified under certain programs can purchase our products through wholesalers or other distributors at a discount. The wholesalers or distributors then charge the discount back to us.
Other gross-to-net deductions include patient co-pay assistance, cash discounts for prompt payment, distributor fees that we pay under our inventory management agreements with our significant U.S. wholesalers and are based on contractually-determined fixed percentage of sales, and sales return provisions.
Our gross-to-net deductions totaled $17.8 billion, or 38%, of gross product sales in 2024, compared to $16.4 billion, or 38%, of gross product sales in 2023. Of the $17.8 billion in 2024, $15.5 billion, or 33%, of gross product sales was related to rebates and chargebacks, and $2.3 billion, or 5%, was related to other gross-to-net deductions. Of the $16.4 billion in 2023, $14.3 billion, or 33%, of gross product sales was related to rebates and chargebacks, and $2.2 billion, or 5%, was related to other gross-to-net deductions.
Current year gross-to-net deductions as a percent of gross product sales may not be indicative of future results.
Foreign Currency Exchange Impact
We generally face exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily in the Euro. We use foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge a portion of our foreign currency exposures.
Approximately 27% and 26% of our product sales were denominated in foreign currencies during 2024 and 2023, respectively. Foreign currency exchange, net of hedges, had an unfavorable impact on our total product sales of $163 million in 2024, based on a comparison using foreign currency exchange rates from 2023.
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Costs and Expenses
The following table summarizes our costs and expenses and period-over-period changes:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except percentages) 2024 2023 Change
Research and development expenses $ 5,907 $ 5,718 3 %
Acquired in-process research and development expenses $ 4,663 $ 1,155 NM
In-process research and development impairments $ 4,180 $ 50 NM
Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 6,091 $ 6,090 — %
_______________________________
NM - Not Meaningful
Product Gross Margin
Product gross margin increased to 78.2% in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to prior year restructuring expenses related to changes in our manufacturing strategy, which resulted in write-offs of certain manufacturing facilities, related inventories and other costs totaling $479 million.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel costs including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation expense, infrastructure, materials and supplies and other support costs, research and clinical studies performed by contract research organizations and our collaboration partners and other outside services.
We manage our R&D expenses by identifying the R&D activities we expect to be performed during a given period and then prioritizing efforts based on scientific data, probability of successful technical development and regulatory approval, market potential, available human and capital resources and other considerations. We regularly review our R&D activities based on unmet medical need and, as necessary, reallocate resources among our internal R&D portfolio and external opportunities that we believe will best support the long-term growth of our business. We do not track total R&D expenses by product candidate, therapeutic area or development phase.
The following table provides a breakout of expenses by major cost type:
Year Ended December 31,
Personnel, infrastructure and other support costs $ 3,555 $ 3,204
Clinical studies and other costs 2,352 2,514
Research and development expenses increased 3% to $5.9 billion in 2024, compared to 2023.
Personnel, infrastructure and other support costs increased mainly due to higher compensation expenses, increases in restructuring costs, and stock-based compensation expenses and other integration costs related to the acquisition of CymaBay.
Clinical studies and other costs decreased mainly due to timing of clinical activities, including the wind-down of studies for magrolimab and obeldesivir for treatment of COVID-19, and higher R&D reimbursements, partially offset by increases related to the progression of other studies.
Acquired In-Process Research and Development Expenses
Acquired in-process research and development expenses are recorded when incurred and reflect costs of externally-developed IPR&D projects, acquired directly in a transaction other than a business combination, that do not have an alternative future use, including upfront and pre-commercialization milestone payments related to various collaborations and the costs of rights to IPR&D projects.
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Acquired in-process research and development expenses were $4.7 billion in 2024, primarily related to the following transactions:
•$3.8 billion CymaBay acquisition;
•$320 million Janssen Pharmaceutica NV future royalty obligation extinguishment related to seladelpar;
•$100 million Arcus Biosciences, Inc. collaboration continuation fee;
•$68 million Arcellx, Inc. (“Arcellx”) collaboration milestones met; and
•$47 million Tmunity Therapeutics, Inc. (“Tmunity”) acquisition milestones met.
Acquired in-process research and development expenses were $1.2 billion in 2023, primarily related to the following transactions:
•$313 million Arcellx collaboration;
•$269 million Tmunity acquisition;
•$218 million XinThera, Inc. acquisition;
•$97 million Assembly Biosciences, Inc. collaboration; and
•$60 million Compugen Ltd. licensing agreement.
See Note 6. Acquisitions and Note 7. Collaborations and Other Arrangements of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information.
In-Process Research and Development Impairments
As of December 31, 2023, our indefinite-lived IPR&D intangible asset related to Trodelvy for metastatic NSCLC was approximately $5.9 billion. In addition to NSCLC, Trodelvy is being explored for potential investigational use in a range of tumor types where Trop-2 is highly expressed. Gilead’s clinical development program in metastatic NSCLC includes ongoing Phase 2 and registrational Phase 3 studies for Trodelvy as a first- or second-line indication.
In January 2024, we received data from our Phase 3 EVOKE-01 study of Trodelvy evaluating sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (“SG”) indicating that the study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival in previously treated metastatic NSCLC, thus triggering a review for potential impairment of the NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset. Based on our evaluation of the study results and all other data currently available, and in connection with the preparation of the financial statements for the first quarter, we performed an interim impairment test and determined that the revised estimated fair value of the NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset was below its carrying value. As a result, we recognized a partial impairment charge of $2.4 billion in In-process research and development impairments on our Consolidated Statements of Operations during the first quarter of 2024.
In September 2024, based on discussions with regulators and external opinion leaders and the completed evaluation of the Phase 3 EVOKE-01 study data, we made a strategic decision to discontinue our clinical development program in metastatic NSCLC for Trodelvy in the second-line indication. This decision triggered a review for potential impairment of the NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset. Based on our evaluation, and in connection with the preparation of the financial statements for the third quarter, we performed an interim impairment test and determined that the revised estimated fair value of the NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset was below its carrying value. As a result, we recognized a partial impairment charge of $1.8 billion in In-process research and development impairments on our Consolidated Statements of Operations during the third quarter of 2024.
To arrive at the revised estimated fair value, we used a probability-weighted income approach that discounts expected future cash flows to present value, which requires the use of Level 3 fair value measurements and inputs, including critical estimated inputs, such as: revenues and operating profits related to the planned utilization of SG in NSCLC, which, include inputs such as addressable patient population, projected market share, treatment duration, and the life of the potential commercialized product; the probability of technical and regulatory success; the time and resources needed to complete the development and approval of SG in NSCLC; an appropriate discount rate based on the estimated weighted-average cost of capital for companies with profiles similar to our profile; and risks related to the viability of and potential alternative treatments in any future target markets. Our revised discounted cash flows for the March 31, 2024 fair value estimation primarily reflected the smaller addressable market that Trodelvy could serve among metastatic NSCLC patients and a delay in expected launch timing for second-line plus patients. Our revised discounted cash flows for the September 30, 2024 fair value estimation primarily reflected the removal of cash flows associated with second-line plus patients.
There were no IPR&D impairment charges in the three months ended December 31, 2024. Therefore, total In-process research and development impairments on our Consolidated Statements of Operations were $4.2 billion in 2024, and the revised estimated fair value of the NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset was $1.8 billion as of December 31, 2024, which reflects Trodelvy’s opportunity as a combination therapy in first-line metastatic NSCLC patients supported by its ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in this patient population.
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In 2023, In-process research and development impairments included $50 million related to a partial impairment charge on our bulevirtide IPR&D intangible asset due to a change in assumptions primarily around probability and timing of regulatory approval.
If future events result in adverse changes in the key assumptions used in determining fair value, including the timing of product launches, information on the competitive landscape of treatments in this indication, changes to the probability of technical or regulatory success, failure to obtain anticipated regulatory approval or discount rate, among others, additional impairments may be recorded and could be material to our financial statements.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses are recorded when incurred and consist primarily of personnel costs, facilities and overhead costs, and selling, marketing and advertising expenses, as well as other general and administrative costs related to finance, human resources, legal and other administrative activities.
The following table summarizes our Selling, general and administrative expenses and period-over-period changes:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except percentages) 2024 2023 Change
Selling and marketing expenses $ 3,453 $ 3,272 6 %
General and administrative expenses 2,638 2,818 (6) %
Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 6,091 $ 6,090 — %
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $6.1 billion and remained relatively flat in 2024, compared to 2023.
Selling and marketing expenses increased mainly due to:
•media spend across multiple therapeutic areas, including launch preparation activities for lenacapavir for the investigational use of HIV PrEP as well as for Livdelzi;
•integration costs related to the acquisition of CymaBay; and
•higher restructuring costs; partially offset by
•a decrease in our allocation of the branded prescription drug fee.
General and administrative expenses decreased mainly due to lower expenses related to legal matters, partially offset by stock-based compensation expenses and other integration costs related to the acquisition of CymaBay, and higher restructuring costs.
Interest Expense and Other (Income) Expense, Net
The following table summarizes our Interest expense and Other (income) expense, net and period-over-period changes:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except percentages) 2024 2023 Change
Other (income) expense, net $ (6) $ (198) (97) %
Loss from equity securities, net $ 274 $ 167 64 %
Other, net $ 2 $ 11 (84) %
Interest expense increased 3% to $977 million in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to a higher average interest rate on long-term debt. See Note 11. Debt and Credit Facilities of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information on our long-term debt and related interest rates.
Unfavorable movements in Other (income) expense, net in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily related to higher net losses from equity securities and lower interest income due to lower average cash balances.
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Income Taxes
The following table summarizes our Income tax expense and period-over-period changes:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except percentages) 2024 2023 Change
Our effective tax rate increased in 2024, compared to 2023, primarily due to:
•The non-deductible acquired IPR&D expense recorded in connection with our first quarter 2024 acquisition of CymaBay;
•A decrease in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of reaching agreement with a tax authority on certain tax positions in 2023; partially offset by
•A non-recurring tax benefit associated with a legal entity restructuring;
•A decrease in state deferred tax liabilities associated with the $4.2 billion NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset impairment charge;
•Settlements with tax authorities in 2024; and
•Remeasurement of certain deferred tax liabilities related to acquired intangible assets.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has a framework to implement a global minimum corporate tax of 15% for companies with global revenues and profits above certain thresholds (referred to as Pillar Two), with certain aspects effective January 1, 2024 and other aspects effective January 1, 2025. Certain countries in which we operate have adopted Pillar Two legislation and other countries are in the process of introducing legislation to implement Pillar Two. We do not expect Pillar Two to have a material impact on our results of operations, liquidity or capital resources.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We regularly analyze our ability to generate and obtain adequate amounts of cash to meet our short-term and long-term requirements and plans. Our capital priorities include: (i) investing in our business and R&D pipeline, (ii) continuing select partnerships and business development transactions, (iii) growing our dividend over time, and (iv) repurchasing shares to offset dilution and opportunistically reduce share count. Based on our evaluation of our current position of liquidity, available capital resources and our material cash requirements, we believe that we can satisfy our capital needs for the next 12 months and the foreseeable future.
Liquidity
Cash and cash equivalents were $10.0 billion as of December 31, 2024. The table below summarizes our cash flow activities, followed by our analysis of changes and trends:
Year Ended December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in):
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (40) 57
Net change in cash and cash equivalents $ 3,906 $ 673
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities is our primary source of funds, driven mainly by collections on product sales, partially offset by operating spend. Changes in working capital balances, generally associated with the timing of collections and payments, as well as unanticipated payments related to litigation, taxes or other matters, may create some variation in any given year. Net cash provided by operating activities increased in 2024 mainly due to higher collections on sales and lower income tax and operating payments. Net cash provided by operating activities included $0.5 billion in HIV antitrust litigation settlement payments in 2023, as well as transition tax payments associated with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of $1.2 billion and $0.9 billion in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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We expect Net cash provided by operating activities in 2025 to include the effect of an approximately $1.3 billion transition tax payment.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was notably higher in 2024 primarily related to the $3.9 billion net cash payment for the CymaBay acquisition, partially offset by proceeds from the liquidation of marketable debt securities to fund that acquisition. Net cash used in investing activities may vary in any given year depending on the favorability of strategic opportunities for the business.
Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities in 2024 was primarily the result of $2.0 billion for debt repayments, $3.9 billion for dividend payments and $1.2 billion for common stock repurchases, partially offset by $3.5 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of senior unsecured notes in November 2024. In 2023, we utilized cash of $2.3 billion for debt repayments, $3.8 billion for dividend payments and $1.0 billion for common stock repurchases, partially offset by $2.0 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of senior unsecured notes in September 2023. The year-over-year changes were due mostly to higher cash provided by new debt issuances. Net cash used in financing activities may vary in any given year depending primarily on the timing of debt repayments and proceeds from debt offerings and the amount of common stock repurchases.
Subsequently, in February 2025, we repaid $1.75 billion of principal balance related to our senior unsecured notes due February 2025. Also, on February 11, 2025, we announced that our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.79 per share of our common stock, with a payment date of March 28, 2025 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 14, 2025. Future dividends are subject to declaration by our Board of Directors.
Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2024, our material cash requirements for the operations of our business consisted primarily of the current and long-term liabilities noted on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as well as other commitments, including the following notable items:
•payments of outstanding borrowings, including interest on long-term debt (see Note 11. Debt and Credit Facilities);
•income tax payments, including the remaining obligations for the one-time repatriation transition tax from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as potential payments related to uncertain tax positions (see Note 16. Income Taxes);
•payments of operating lease obligations (see Note 12. Leases);
•payments related to certain unconditional inventory purchase obligations and capital expenditures. There were no changes to such commitments in the current year that would have a material impact on our ability to meet short- or long-term cash requirements;
•payments related to our acquisitions, including contingent consideration (see Notes 3. Fair Value Measurements and 6. Acquisitions); and
•milestone and other payments related to collaboration agreements (see Note 7. Collaborations and Other Arrangements). We are contractually obligated to make payments to our collaboration partners upon the achievement of various development, regulatory and commercial milestones as well as royalty payments. These payments are contingent upon the occurrence of various future events, substantially all of which have a high degree of uncertainty of occurring. If milestones for multiple products covered by these arrangements happen to be reached in the same reporting period, the aggregate cash requirement could be material. It is not possible to predict with reasonable certainty whether these milestones will be achieved or the timing for achievement. As such, these obligations are not recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets until the events triggering milestone payments occur.
Our anticipated sources of funds to satisfy the above material cash requirements for the short- and long-term include our current balances of cash and cash equivalents as well as future cash flows from operations. If needed, we also have the ability to utilize our $2.5 billion revolving credit facility (see Note 11. Debt and Credit Facilities) and access other external capital through future debt or equity offerings.
While we are not aware of any trends at this time that are reasonably likely to materially impact our future cash requirements and sources of funds, such requirements and funds will depend on many factors, including but not limited to the following:
•the commercial performance of our current and future products;
•the progress and scope of our R&D efforts and those of our collaboration partners, including preclinical studies and clinical trials;
•the cost, timing and outcome of regulatory reviews;
•the expansion of our sales and marketing capabilities;
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•the acquisition of additional manufacturing capabilities or office facilities on acceptable terms;
•the acquisition of other companies or new products on acceptable terms;
•the issuance of new debt or equity in the market on acceptable terms;
•the favorability of repaying certain long-term debt obligations prior to maturity dates;
•future dividends subject to declaration by our Board of Directors (see “Dividends” in Part II, Item 5 of this 10-K);
•the favorability of repurchasing shares (see “Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” in Part II, Item 5 of this 10-K);
•the establishment of additional collaborative relationships with other companies on acceptable terms; and
•costs associated with the defense, settlement and adverse results of government investigations and litigation (see Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies).
Critical Accounting Estimates
See Note 1. Summary of Business and Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information about our significant accounting policies and how estimates are involved in the preparation of our financial statements. We believe the following reflect the critical accounting estimates used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Rebates and Chargebacks
Rebates and chargebacks are determined using a complex estimation process which requires significant judgment by management in part due to the lag between the date of the product sales and the date the related rebates or chargeback claims are settled. Rebates and chargebacks are based on contractual arrangements or statutory requirements and include amounts due to payers and healthcare providers under various programs. These amounts may vary by product, payer and individual plans. Rebates and chargebacks are estimated primarily based on product sales, and expected payer mix and discount rates, which require significant estimates and judgment. In developing our estimates of rebates and chargebacks, we consider the following:
•product sales, including product mix and pricing;
•historical and estimated payer mix;
•statutory discount requirements and contractual terms;
•historical claims experience and processing time lags;
•estimated patient population;
•known market events or trends;
•market research;
•channel inventory data obtained from our major U.S. wholesalers; and
•other pertinent internal or external information.
The following table summarizes the consolidated activities and ending balances in our rebates and chargebacks accounts, including adjustments made relating to previous years’ sales as a result of changes in estimates:
We assess and update our estimates each reporting period to reflect actual claims and other current information. Historically, our actual rebates and chargebacks claimed for prior years have varied by less than 5% from our estimates. However, historical results are not indicative of future results.
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Valuation of Intangible Assets
Determining the fair values of intangible assets, whether as part of a business combination or impairment assessment, involves the use of a probability-weighted income approach that discounts expected future cash flows to present value and requires the use of critical estimated inputs, including:
•identification of product candidates with sufficient substance requiring separate recognition;
•estimates of projected future cash flows, including revenues and operating profits related to the products or product candidates, which, for example, include significant inputs such as addressable patient population, treatment duration and projected market share;
•the probability of technical and regulatory success for unapproved product candidates considering their stages of development;
•the time and resources needed to complete the development and approval of product candidates;
•an appropriate discount rate based on the estimated weighted-average cost of capital for companies with profiles similar to our profile, representing the rate that market participants would use to value the intangible assets;
•the life of the potential commercialized products and associated risks, including the inherent difficulties and uncertainties in developing a product candidate such as obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals; and
•risks related to the viability of and potential alternative treatments in any future target markets.
These estimates are subject to uncertainty due to the high rate of failure inherent in the discovery and development of new products; delays that can occur in development, approval and product launch processes; unanticipated decisions made by regulatory agencies; advent of competing products; unexpected changes in U.S. and global financial markets and other unanticipated events and circumstances. If future events result in adverse changes in the critical assumptions used in determining fair value, impairment charges on our intangible assets may be recorded and could be material to our financial statements. For example, in 2024, upon receiving data from our Phase 3 EVOKE-01 study of Trodelvy, which indicated the study did not meet its primary endpoint, and further discussions with regulators and external opinion leaders and completion of the evaluation of the trial data which led to the strategic decision to end the second-line indication program, we recognized in aggregate $4.2 billion in impairment charges related to our NSCLC IPR&D intangible asset, reflecting, amongst other changes, the removal of expected future cash flows associated with second-line plus patients from our valuation model.
Legal Contingencies
We are a party to various legal actions. Certain significant matters are described in Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Critical inputs to the accruals recorded and disclosures provided in relation to these matters include the probability of a certain outcome of the case, the determination as to whether an exposure is reasonably estimable and the amount of potential exposure. These inputs are subject to uncertainty due to changes in the legal facts and circumstances of the case, status of the proceedings, applicable law, the views of legal counsel and the views of any judges or jury involved in the case. Upon the final resolution of such matters, it is possible that there may be a loss in excess of the amount recorded, and such amounts could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows or financial position. We periodically reassess these matters when additional information becomes available and adjust our estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances indicate the need for any changes. For example, in the second quarter of 2023, we recorded an accrual of $525 million in Other current liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets for settlements with certain plaintiffs in the HIV antitrust litigation, which we paid in the second half of 2023. Also, we accrued approximately $200 million for a potential settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions, including Ireland. Critical inputs in determining our provision for income taxes and related tax balances include forecasts of our future income and expenses, potential tax planning strategies and determination of the probability of certain tax positions being sustained upon examination by tax authorities. These inputs are subject to uncertainty due to potential changes in facts and circumstances, economic and political conditions, changes to existing tax laws and new regulations or interpretations by tax authorities. Changes in these conditions could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial position. See Note 16. Income Taxes of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information.
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ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to market risks that may result from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and equity prices. To reduce certain of these risks, we enter into various types of foreign currency derivative hedging transactions, follow investment guidelines and monitor outstanding receivables as part of our risk management program.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
We have operations in more than 35 countries worldwide. As a result, our financial results could be significantly affected by factors such as changes in foreign currency exchange rates or weak economic conditions in the foreign markets in which we distribute our products. Our operating results are exposed to changes in foreign currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and various foreign currencies, the most significant of which is the Euro. When the U.S. dollar strengthens against these currencies, the relative value of sales made in the respective foreign currency decreases. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar weakens against these currencies, the relative value of such sales increases. Overall, we are a net receiver of foreign currencies and, therefore, we benefit from a weaker U.S. dollar and are adversely affected by a stronger U.S. dollar.
Approximately 27% of our product sales were denominated in foreign currencies during 2024. To partially mitigate the impact of changes in currency exchange rates on net cash flows from our foreign currency denominated sales, we enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts. We also hedge certain monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, which reduces but does not eliminate our exposure to currency fluctuations between the date a transaction is recorded and the date that cash is collected or paid. In general, the market risks of these contracts are offset by corresponding gains and losses on the transactions being hedged.
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had open foreign currency forward contracts with notional amounts of $2.9 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively. A hypothetical 10% adverse movement in foreign currency exchange rates compared with the U.S. dollar relative to exchange rates as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 would have resulted in a reduction in fair value of these contracts of approximately $364 million and $328 million, respectively, and if realized, would have negatively affected earnings over the remaining life of the contracts. The analysis does not consider the impact that hypothetical changes in foreign currency exchange rates would have on anticipated transactions that these foreign currency sensitive instruments were designed to offset.
Interest Rate Risk
We occasionally invest in available-for-sale debt securities, adhering to a policy that requires us to limit invested amounts based on credit rating, maturity, industry group and investment type and issuer, except for securities issued by the U.S. government. The goals of our investment policy, in order of priority, are as follows:
• safety and preservation of principal and diversification of risk;
• liquidity of investments sufficient to meet cash flow requirements; and
• a competitive after-tax rate of return.
The fair value of any available-for-sale debt securities is subject to change as a result of potential changes in market interest rates. However, primarily due to the typically short-term nature of our portfolio, we do not believe that future market risks, including a hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in interest rates related to any securities, would have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.
Our senior unsecured notes have fixed interest rates. As such, there is no financial interest rate exposure. The fair value of these senior unsecured notes and our liability related to future royalties as part of our 2020 acquisition of Immunomedics, Inc. are exposed to fluctuations in interest rates. The current fair value of our debt portfolio and liability related to future royalties are $23.3 billion and $0.9 billion, respectively. The fair value will decrease as interest rates increase. The fair value will increase as interest rates decrease. Additionally, we have a $2.5 billion five-year revolving credit facility that matures in June 2029. Loans under our revolving credit facility bear interest at either (i) Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus the Applicable Percentage, (ii) the Alternative Currency Term Rate plus the Applicable Percentage, or (iii) the Base Rate plus the Applicable Percentage, each as defined in the revolving credit facility agreement. There were no amounts outstanding under the revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2024. As such, there is currently no financial interest rate exposure.
Equity Price Risk
We hold shares of common stock of certain publicly traded biotechnology companies primarily in connection with license and collaboration agreements. These equity securities are measured at fair value with any changes in fair value recognized in earnings.
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The fair value of these equity securities was approximately $1.6 billion and $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Changes in fair value of these equity securities are impacted by the volatility of the stock market and changes in general economic conditions, among other factors. A hypothetical 20% increase or decrease in the stock prices of these equity securities would have increased or decreased their fair value as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 by approximately $312 million and $292 million, respectively.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Years Ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
CONTENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42) 51
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements:
Consolidated Balance Sheets 53
Consolidated Statements of Operations 54
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 55
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 56
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 57
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 58
`
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 28, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Government and commercial rebates
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Valuation of in-process research and development intangible asset
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1988.
San Mateo, California
February 28, 2025
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GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31,
(in millions, except per share amounts) 2024 2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 9,991 $ 6,085
Short-term marketable debt securities — 1,179
Prepaid and other current assets 3,052 2,374
Property, plant and equipment, net 5,414 5,317
Long-term marketable debt securities — 1,163
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt and other obligations, net 1,815 1,798
Long-term income taxes payable 830 2,039
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)
Stockholders’ equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive income 132 28
Noncontrolling interest (84) (84)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 58,995 $ 62,125
See accompanying notes.
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GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31,
Revenues:
Royalty, contract and other revenues 144 182 299
Costs and expenses:
Acquired in-process research and development expenses 4,663 1,155 944
In-process research and development impairments 4,180 50 2,700
Selling, general and administrative expenses 6,091 6,090 5,673
Other (income) expense, net (6) (198) 581
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest — (52) (26)
Basic earnings per share attributable to Gilead $ 0.38 $ 4.54 $ 3.66
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Gilead $ 0.38 $ 4.50 $ 3.64
See accompanying notes.
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GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Year Ended December 31,
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of reclassifications and taxes:
Net (loss) gain on foreign currency translation (26) 60 (11)
Net gain (loss) on available-for-sale debt securities 5 28 (29)
Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges 125 (62) (41)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net 104 26 (81)
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, net — (52) (26)
Comprehensive income attributable to Gilead, net $ 584 $ 5,691 $ 4,511
See accompanying notes.
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GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Shares Amount
Other comprehensive loss, net — — — (81) — — (81)
Issuances under employee stock purchase plan 2 — 103 — — — 103
Issuances under equity incentive plans 13 — 211 — — — 211
Stock-based compensation — — 640 — — — 640
Dividends declared ($2.92 per share) — — — — (3,725) — (3,725)
Other comprehensive income, net — — — 26 — — 26
Issuances under employee stock purchase plan 2 — 129 — — — 129
Issuances under equity incentive plans 13 — 99 — — — 99
Stock-based compensation — — 767 — — — 767
Dividends declared ($3.00 per share) — — — — (3,814) — (3,814)
Other comprehensive income, net — — — 104 — — 104
Issuances under employee stock purchase plan 2 — 139 — — — 139
Issuances under equity incentive plans 16 — 282 — — — 282
Stock-based compensation — — 834 — — — 834
Dividends declared ($3.08 per share) — — — — (3,911) — (3,911)
See accompanying notes.
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GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Year Ended December 31,
Operating Activities:
Acquired in-process research and development expenses 4,663 1,155 944
In-process research and development impairments 4,180 50 2,700
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other (259) 39 (134)
Income tax assets and liabilities, net (732) (1,768) (364)
Investing Activities:
Purchases of marketable debt securities (244) (1,930) (1,770)
Proceeds from sales of marketable debt securities 2,265 510 412
Proceeds from maturities of marketable debt securities 327 1,334 1,590
Purchases of equity securities (492) (442) (172)
Net cash used in investing activities (3,449) (2,265) (2,466)
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from debt financing, net of issuance costs 3,464 1,980 —
Proceeds from issuances of common stock 422 232 309
Repurchases of common stock under repurchase programs (1,150) (1,000) (1,396)
Repayments of debt and other obligations (1,970) (2,250) (1,500)
Net cash used in financing activities (3,433) (5,125) (6,469)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (40) 57 (63)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents 3,906 673 74