AIDS activists slam Biden admin's R&D deal with Gilead over HIV prevention drug patents

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After more than a year of squabbling, a group of AIDS activists obtained an R&D agreement that was at the heart of a settlement between the U.S. government and Gilead Sciences over patents for HIV prevention drugs. But in their view, the deal shows the Biden administration missed an “historic” opportunity to invest in — and expand access to — HIV prevention tools.

As noted previously, the settlement resolved a lawsuit that was filed six years ago by the previous Trump administration after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintained that Gilead infringed its patent rights. The agency had helped fund academic research that later formed the basis for two Gilead HIV pills, Truvada and Descovy.

The administration had alleged that Gilead ignored the contributions by CDC scientists, exaggerated its own role in developing HIV prevention drugs, and refused to sign a licensing agreement despite “multiple attempts” at reaching a deal after unfairly reaping hundreds of millions of dollars from research funded by taxpayers.

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