AIDS activists criticize Biden-Gilead R&D settlement over HIV prevention patents

A group of AIDS activists have secured an R&D agreement that sits at the core of a settlement between the U.S. government and Gilead Sciences concerning patents on HIV prevention drugs.

The activists argue the deal represents a missed historic chance for the Biden administration to invest in and broaden access to HIV prevention tools, saying Gilead was rewarded despite infringing on government‑held patents.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally filed by the previous administration after the CDC asserted that Gilead violated its patent rights. The CDC had funded academic research that later formed the basis for the HIV prevention pills Truvada and Descovy.

The administration alleged that Gilead ignored the CDC scientists' contributions, overstated its own role in developing the drugs, and refused to sign a licensing agreement.