
Gilead Sciences’ Liver Disease Drugs Portfolio
By Mike BensonJan. 2 2017, Updated 10:36 a.m. ET
Gilead Sciences’ liver disease drugs
As we saw earlier, Gilead Sciences’ (GILD) portfolio includes drugs for key therapeutic areas, including HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome), liver diseases, oncology, cardiovascular, inflammation and respiratory, and others.
More than 50.0% of the company’s revenues are from antiviral products in its liver disease franchise.
Liver disease drugs portfolio
Gilead’s liver disease drugs portfolio includes Sovaldi, Viread, Harvoni, Hepsera, and Epclusa.
Harvoni
Harvoni is Gilead’s biggest-selling drug. It’s used with or without ribavirin for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C virus (or HCV) of genotype-1, genotype-4, genotype-5, and genotype-6. Harvoni reported a fall in revenues at $1.9 billion for 3Q16 compared to $3.3 billion for 3Q15.
Sovaldi
Sovaldi is a drug used in combination with other antivirals for the treatment of chronic HCV of genotype-1 to genotype-4. Sovaldi reported revenues of $825.0 million in 3Q16 compared to $1.5 billion in 3Q15.
Viread
Viread is used in combination with other antiretrovirals for the treatment of patients with HIV-1. It’s also used for the treatment of patients with the Hepatitis B virus. However, Viread should not be used in combination with other drugs such as Atripla, Complera, Stribild, and Truvada. Viread reported revenues of $303.0 million for 3Q16 compared to $297.0 million for 3Q15.
Some other approved treatments for HCV include Zepatier from Merck (MRK), Daklinza from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Technivie and Viekira Pak from AbbVie (ABBV), and Olysio for Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).
To avoid the risk, you can consider ETFs such as the iShares US Healthcare (IYH), which holds ~3.5% of its total assets in Gilead Sciences.