LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is continuing its blistering criticism of Gilead Sciences for its recent move illegally restricting access to certain of its medications in the 340B drug pricing program — an unlawful move that undermines safety net care providers and harms many providers, pharmacies and their patients.
In response, AHF spearheaded a protest last week at Gilead’s Foster City Headquarters. AHF is now rolling out a print and online digital ad campaign featuring an altered Gilead logo, in which AHF more fittingly rebrands the company as “Greediad.”
Starting this week, “Dear Greedy Gilead” ads exposing Gilead’s illegal drug restrictions will appear in the form of an open letter to the company in print and online ads set to run in the Washington Blade and the Los Angeles Blade (pub. dates 4/1/22); SFGN (South Florida Gay News, pub. date 4/1/22), the Bay Area Reporter (pub. date 4/1/22) and the Seattle Gay News (pub. date 3/31/22).
And a 30-second online digital video ad produced by AHF sharply criticizing Gilead will also start a run throughout the Bay Area, where Gilead is headquartered.
“The prior administration at Gilead under John Martin was bad enough, but it at least had some connection to, and comprehension of the AIDS and hepatitis communities Gilead served,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Now, under CEO Daniel O’Day, Gilead joins ranks with fourteen other drug companies blatantly breaking federal law to increase their obscene profits and bottom lines. Gilead’s — Greediad’s — actions here are unconscionable.”
Lawyers for the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) in both the Biden and Trump administrations have said these restrictions are clearly illegal, yet drug companies like Gilead forge ahead with the lawbreaking in search of even greater profits.
According to the 340B Report (March 16, 2022), Gilead is the 15th drug manufacturer to place unlawful restrictions on 340B contract pharmacy programs.
“Gilead’s greed has also reached a new level, intentionally wrecking the HIV health care safety net, slashing its patient assistance programs,” added Weinstein. “Harvoni, one of the HIV drugs now subject to Gilead’s illegal 340B restrictions, is priced at one-thousand dollars per pill for people without insurance, which is just madness.”
Moreover, according to the 340B Report, Gilead is now refusing to offer the 340B discount price for HIV drugs to providers who use contract pharmacies. Earlier this year, Gilead suddenly, dramatically increased the price that safety net providers pay for Descovy — a drug needed for both HIV treatment and HIV prevention.
The 340B drug pricing program is administered by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). It has helped provide low-cost medications and better health outcomes for millions of Americans and the nonprofit clinics and hospitals that serve them. Safety net providers like Ryan White providers who serve patients living with HIV have the right under the 340B statute to purchase drugs for their patients at a discounted price. Earlier this month, Gilead put profits before patients by unilaterally imposing unlawful conditions on when and how it will give discounts for certain hepatitis C drugs.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.7 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare