Driven by sheer profit motive, Gilead has taken effective and better result-bearing HIV treatments off the shelf to promote monopoly sales at the cost of patient’s health, as per allegations by two patients.

In a lawsuit filed against the company, plaintiffs Michael Lujano and Jonathan Gary have alleged that in spite of knowing the serious health risks carried by Gilead’s Viread or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), the company aggressively promoted it. The California residents also stated that crucial health risk information was hidden from them. A less toxic compound, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) was released in the market. Two drugs, Truvada and Atripla, were released by Gilead, containing the original TDF, was brought into the market by Gilead. The consumption of these drugs for many years by the plaintiffs has led to them suffering from osteopenia and osteoporosis with Gary also having contracted Fanconi syndrome.

It has been stated by the patients that Gilead concealed crucial information that the TDF drugs could trigger kidney and bone risks. A safer alternative in the form of TAF could have been incorporated while marketing Truvada and Atripla. The research into TAF was deliberately stopped and the drugs are not likely to be brought to the shelf in the near future.