US Pharma Giant Gilead Says Counterfeiters Sold $250Mln Of Its HIV Drugs

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) US-based pharmaceutical corporation Gilead Sciences took legal action to halt a counterfeit network that sold more than $250 million worth of its HIV drugs, a company representative said in a statement to Sputnik.

"We have now identified that the distributor defendants have sold 85,247 bottles labeled as Gilead-branded medication to pharmacies over the past two years, all accompanied by counterfeit supply chain documentation. This is more than $250 million worth of product," Head of Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection, Lori Mayall, said on Tuesday.

After become aware of the situation, the company took direct and urgent legal action in a US court to halt counterfeit Gilead HIV medication from reaching patients, she added.

"The court has ordered that all of the parties in this case responsible for distributing the counterfeits stop selling Gilead-branded medication and we are not aware of any defendant violating this order," Mayall added.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the scheme often included bottles of HIV drugs that contained antipsychotic drugs or over-the-counter painkillers.

It was discovered when a patient at White Cross Pharmacy in California said in August 2020 that they had the wrong pills in his HIV medication. The pharmacy contacted Gilead after the incident and said that it bought the drugs from Safe Chain Solutions which were cheaper than those of Gilead's.