Benzinga | Aug 6, 2021 04:04PM EDT

Fake Versions Of Gilead's HIV Drugs Are In Circulation In US

* Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:GILD) warned Thursday that its original HIV treatments Biktarvy and Descovy had been replaced by fake versions at some pharmacies.

* Unauthorized distributors could sell fake drugs to retailers, and then, "genuine Gilead bottles" were filled with counterfeit tablets, the company said.

* Gilead has alerted potentially impacted pharmacies and is working with the FDA, pharmacies, and legal authorities to remove problematic pills from circulation and to prevent future distribution, the company added.

* Gilead didn't disclose the number of pharmacies affected or where they are located.

* Counterfeit medicines may not have the correct amount of active ingredients or may contain impurities.

* Approved by the FDA in 2018, Biktarvy quickly became the industry's best-selling HIV med and a key growth driver for Gilead.

* In the first half of 2021, the drug brought in $3.82 billion worldwide, roughly a 16% increase over the same period last year.

* Descovy, combined with other drugs to treat HIV and used by itself as a PrEP option to prevent infection, brought in sales of $794 million in the first six months of 2021.

* Price Action: GILD shares closed down 0.75% at $68.78 on Friday.

* Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash