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Gilead was established in 1987 with the objective of finding therapeutic remedies to ailments harmful to people.

The biotech company has consistently grown and acquired the reputation of being one of the most prestigious, renowned, and accomplished players in the pharma industry.

Recently, the corporation made headlines when its intravenous drug – Remdesivir – was approved by the FDA as the first treatment for COVID-19.

Gilead’s global effort to provide an effective and timely solution during the devastating Covid-19 pandemic exemplifies the company’s resilience in the face of adversity.

Here are some statistics that demonstrate Gilead Sciences' growing market position and status:

Gilead didn’t make a dime in profit for the first 14 years, but it has steadily climbed since 2001. So, let us learn more about Gilead’s exciting journey, full of trials, tribulations, and triumphs.

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

Gilead, a massive biopharmaceutical corporation, began as an idea of Micheal L.Riordan. Michael, a graduate of Washington University, John Hopkins School of Medicine, and Harvard Business School, had a rich educational background. It would be an understatement to say that he had a multi-disciplinary mind and was passionate about attaining knowledge. 

Upon graduating, Riordan pursued finance at Menlo Ventures, not realizing how vital it would be for his future endeavors. He spent a year with Menlo Ventures, learning various skills and the intricacies of venture capital as well as the financial world.

This was a transformative time for him. He gained valuable experiences that influenced his mindset and approach, which came in handy later on, helping Gilead become a globally recognized pharmaceutical company.

Establishing Gilead As A Corporation

At the age of 29, Michael embarked upon the journey to fulfill his dream of discovering therapeutic solutions to illnesses that afflict humanity, mainly focusing on antiviral medicine.

In 1988, Riordan had contracted dengue fever which served as a wake-up call for him and made him realize the dearth of effective treatment for countless deadly diseases. Providing quality vaccines and medicines became the driving force behind his determination to set up and run Gilead. So, he quickly laid the groundwork for the concept by combining the medical and business knowledge that he had gained over the years.

But that didn’t mean he undertook the challenge alone. He had a far-sighted goal and big ambitions.

Every great idea necessitates a more extraordinary execution, and the mastermind realized that he needed accomplished individuals by his side who shared the same vision. As a result, he partnered up with three scientific advisors – Peter Dervan from Caltech, Doug Melton, a Harvard graduate, and Harold M. Weintraub, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – to build Gilead Sciences.

From there, Gilead’s founding pillars devoted themselves entirely to the research and innovation of novel pharmaceutical products. These men were geniuses in their field and left no stone unturned in taking the company forward.

The early research focused on gene therapy a.k.a antisense therapy – making small strands of DNA in order to target specific genetic code sequences.

This was only the beginning, and the company kept on researching breakthrough solutions in a bid to make healthcare simple and effective. However, it was not all sunshine and rainbows. 

Even during the initial phase, there were some disagreements within the group, for instance, about the company’s name. Everyone knew that the name should give the consumers and market an accurate impression of what the company does and stands for in terms of pharmaceuticals, but few were satisfied with the initial name - Oligogen. It was thought that the name did not highlight the expected revolutionary healing impact of the ground-breaking research the company was doing.

All You Need To Know About The Company Name

Gilead has a distinctive name – there’s no doubt about it. It was not, however, Riordan’s first preference.

In 1987, after much reflection, he coined the phrase Oligogen for his business.

Oligogen is, without question, a unique name; however, it is one of the words that customers can frequently forget or mispronounce. Plus, it did little to highlight the essential nature of work the company was doing. To avoid this, the company was rebranded as Gilead.

So now, how did Riordan come up with the new name?

After extensive research, Riordan discovered that a region in the Middle East known as “Gilead” was famous at the time due to its excellence in developing prescription drug medicine, known as the balm of Gilead. It was also regarded as the first and foremost genuine pharmaceutical in the world.

Thus, Riordan knew right away that Gilead was the natural choice for his new company.

The Tricky Challenge Of Raising Funds

Research and health sciences were the company’s primary domains. But they could not be sustained without a constant inflow of funds.

Riordan quickly realized that the company required substantial funds to operate, and that’s where his financial training as a qualified venture capitalist came in handy. Now, it was his time to deviate slightly from his medical expertise and tap into the finance side. Indeed, he proved to be more than resourceful in this regard.

Without wasting time, he propositioned well-known companies that would invest in Gilead, as well as established and well-connected individuals who could help the company market itself more effectively.

A year after establishing the company, he attempted to woo Warren Buffet. The proposal welcomed and requested Buffet to invest in Gilead and invited him to join the company’s board of directors.

Gilead-warren-buffet-letter
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Unfortunately, Warren was quick to repudiate the proposal, claiming that he would not contribute much to the new thriving company and that the only intangible asset he could bring forth was his name. Riordan tried again a while later with Warren but was still unsuccessful.

However, this man had no intention of giving up at this point and was well aware that he needed to put his best foot forward to raise funds to move the company forward.

He returned to his roots, Menlo Ventures, the institution that taught him every skill he possessed as a venture capitalist, such as convincing people about the profitability of his idea, the growth of the firm, focusing on solid strategies, setting targets, and getting the work done on time and on budget.

Menlo Ventures decided to fund the idea and the company because of Riordon’s credibility, persistence, and strong background. Riordan was able to pocket the first $2 million funds for Gilead because of this. With this newfound motivation, Riordan managed to gather a total of $10 million for the new business and was ready to start full-fledged operations.

He had planned to relocate the headquarters to California due to the extensive availability of biotechnology and qualified scientists in the region. Now that Riordan had enough funds to relocate the company, he quickly moved the firm’s headquarters to Foster City, California.

Key Takeaway 1: Have A Well-defined Meaningful Goal

Every business starts with an idea or personal motivation. For Riordan, it was the ambition to find cures for the countless diseases, especially after he himself had fallen ill due to dengue.

This was enough to keep Riordan motivated despite facing numerous challenges in the company’s initial years - from coming up with the company name to securing funds.

He not only persisted but also explored multiple options, eventually bringing Menlo Ventures on board with initial funding of $2 million. 

Hence, Gilead managed to stay on its feet during the tough initial challenging phase mainly due to the positive approach and business acumen of Riordan as well as the different perspectives the various team members brought to the fore.

Building A Strong Position in the Market

Let’s take a closer look at Gilead Sciences’ first step on the road to success. 

After Riordan financed the company’s resettlement to Foster City, California, all operations took off. The corporation was able to generate $1.3 million in revenue by the end of the first fiscal period. But did this revenue result in a profit? No, it did not.

Instead, the company suffered a massive $4 million loss. Yes, that’s right! Gilead and Micheal Riordan’s formative decade was not easy. The company faced bleak advancement, almost non-existent profits, and persistent red losses.

Getting Approvals and Overcoming Financial Challenges

The company did not receive a single drug approval for the first nine years, and the company was in quite a bit of trouble. So, in September 1991, Riordan decided to take one last chance. He resorted to private funding and strived to raise $20 million to fund additional operations and continue the research.

The business had received approximately $40 million in total, but there were no tangible results to show for it. Hence, it was difficult to attract investments from the outside.

Fortunately, Gilead found collaborative partners such as Glaxo Holdings PLC, a $3.5 billion English drug conglomerate, which gave Riordan $8 million to develop a drug to combat cancer cells. Somehow, the company came back from the brink of going under and found a way to survive again.

The Big Break

The team was putting in its blood, sweat, and tears into achieving the objective of finding the perfect solution to several fatal diseases.

Riordan began filing for Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He hoped to raise at least $42 million for further research during the IPO, scheduled for completion in January 1992.

While he was looking for money on Wall Street, the scientists at Gilead were not one to take things slow. They worked around the clock to create a tiny antiviral molecule for therapeutics. It was centered on a nucleotide compound and had been licensed by several European laboratories.

Alternate Sources of Money

Time passed, and the end of January saw the completion of an IPO, and a massive sum of $86.25 million was received from the public. The fact that the public was willing to invest in Gilead’s success was quite inspiring for Riordan and his team. Hence, they were willing to do whatever it took to scale.

Gilead’s NASDAQ debut had been a beacon of hope and optimism for the company, and six months later, the company was fully prepared for more good news. But, unfortunately, the first product was still in the works, and Gilead had yet to release a significant product. As a result, its only source of revenue was collaboration on R&D projects with its partners.

Gilead undertook several clinical R&D projects commissioned by the United States Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, ensuring there was some inflow of money.

All this while, Gilead continued to strive to develop drugs needed to combat Dengue fever, Malaria, and other tropical diseases prevalent during those years. The most noticeable was the company’s effort to develop a therapeutic solution for CMV retinitis, an AIDS-related eye disease.

Key Takeaway 2: Focused Leadership and A Dedicated Team Are Vital

Gilead did not receive any drug approvals, but the company kept at it even as it faced near death. Riordan and the scientists were always eager to make it work; their optimism and drive were unrivaled.

By working day in day out to bring more money in and keep the company afloat, Riordan did all he could.

This demonstrates the power of teamwork and determination. Whatever challenges the company faced, it did not demotivate the employees or divert from its goals. Instead, Gilead focused more on R&D projects after seeing a positive response from its IPO.

Thus, soon the company achieved stability and was set on a path of growth.

Gilead’s Products Driving Success

Even though the company had been in operation for many years, one thing remained constant: it made no profit. However, things were soon about to change.

The First Glimpse of Success

Gilead realized Cytomegalovirus retinitis necessitated a one-of-a-kind treatment in the form of an injection to ensure the eye disease abated.

Gilead rose to the occasion and started working on an efficient and effective drug to get rid of this deadly disease. The company was successful in developing Vistide - a cure for the eye disease, Cytomegalovirus retinitis.

It was the first Gilead medicine to receive FDA approval when it was released in June 1996. In addition, Gilead completed its fourth public offering to raise funds in February 1996, issuing 4 million shares worth $162.5 million.

Vistide-bottle
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The Foster City headquarters was overjoyed and went into overdrive to get the medicine to the market as soon as possible. Within a few hours of the approval, wholesalers and distributors across the country received the medication. Once Vistide was approved, it was launched instantly and received positive feedback from the public within the first few weeks.

The company had now shifted its focus to the overseas pharmaceutical markets and was ready to launch the product by signing an agreement with Pharmacia & Upjohn to market the drug outside of the United States.

Finally, in the 1990s, Gilead had established itself as a known pharmaceutical brand, and its legitimacy also increased, thanks to Vistide coming out as a product that helped the firm prove its claims of developing drugs of valuable efficacy.

HIV Drugs: Atripla and Truvada

In 2004, U.S FDA granted accelerated approval of Gilead Sciences’ Truvada - a fixed-dose combination of two anti-HIV medicines, Emtriva(R) and Viread(R). 

Truvada was a breakthrough drug in the fight against HIV and a milestone in the decades-long history of the AIDS epidemic. It was labeled as the first agent indicated for un-infected adults at high risk of HIV.

File:Truvada for PrEP HIV Prevention Prescription Pill Bottle (48610088067).jpg
Source: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Just two years later, Atripla, a first-of-its-kind treatment drug for HIV-1 in adults, was also approved in 2006 by the FDA, and it marked the success of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Gilead Sciences. Truvada, a Gilead drug, and Sustiva, a Bristol-Myers Squibb product, were both combined to formulate Atripla.

The approval of Atripla was quite significant as it was the first-ever once-daily single-tablet regimen that was approved as a standalone therapy, culminating over a decade of research and continuous efforts to simplify the dosing and achieve effective viral suppression for individuals infected with HIV.

It was a big leap forwards and a therapeutic advance in Gilead’s journey to develop innovative treatments for diseases.

Hepatitis C Drugs: Sovaldi and Harvoni

The chronic Hepatitis C had been adversely impacting the health and wellbeing of people around the globe. However, things changed for the better when Gilead’s Sovaldi was approved for the treatment of Hepatitis C in 2013. 

It marked a new era in the treatment of Hepatitis C and Gilead contributed immensely to the growth of Gilead as a leader advancing healthcare and improving lives.

Dr. Raymond Schinazi | Source: Emory School of Medicine, Public Domain

In 2015, Gilead went a step ahead and combined Sovaldi with ledipasvir to form the first and only single-tablet regimen for treatment of Hepatitis C, Harvoni, which treated almost 94-99% of the patients with HCV genotype 1. The high cure rate and tolerable side effects made it another one of Gilead’s successful drugs.

While previously these drugs were approved for adults, in 2017, FDA approved the supplemental application of Sovaldi and Harvoni for treatment of Hepatitis C in children aged 7-12. This move changed the landscape for Hepatitis C treatment by catering to the needs of children. 

A Range Of Products Transforming Healthcare

From Biktarvy, Epculsa, and Yescarta to Genvoya, Descovy, and Stribild, among others, Gilead offers an array of other products focusing on human immunodeficiency virus, hematology, inflammation, and respiratory diseases, liver diseases, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

File:Tenofoviralafenamide.png
Source: Tony Webster from United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The company continuously engages in the research, development, and commercialization of an extensive range of medicines to continuously cater to people's unmet medical needs.

Key Takeaway 3: Develop Products That Solve Problems

Yes, Gilead’s mission to offer holistic solutions to the most pressing health issues is indeed commendable.

However, it wouldn’t have amounted to anything if the company did not produce products that improved healthcare outcomes.

From launching Visitide, a cure for the eye-disease Cytomegalovirus retinitis, to developing drugs such as Atripla and Truvada to treat AIDs as well as Sovaldi and Harvoni for remedying Hepatitis C, Gilead has brought to market a number of blockbuster products.

Such has been the success of these products that they are the go-to choice of patients and healthcare professionals worldwide, driving the growth of Gilead and earning it a great reputation as well as revenue. 

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Growth Courtesy Mergers & Acquisitions

Having launched Visitide and tasted success, Gilead focused on expanding its product portfolio and it aimed to do that through collaborations.

By 1997, the company was making headlines due to its intention of acquiring some powerful pharmaceutical brands, including Nexstar Pharmaceuticals – a Colorado-based company with $130 million in annual sales, three times that of Gilead.

Nexstar’s initial goal was to establish itself as a full-service pharmaceutical company. That means their researchers would be free to conduct research on their own time and focus solely on the products, the corporation would not be troubled by Wall Street pressures, the diversions of federal regulators would not worry the business, and the firm would not be required to deliver financial figures to anyone. It was a win-win.

On the other hand, Gilead was fine with these merger terms since it procured two of Nexstar’s most profitable drugs, AmBisome, which is used to treat fungal infections, and DaunoXome, which is an anti-cancer agent.

The best feature of this acquisition for Gilead was Nexstar’s stronghold in the Australian and European markets, where it generated high sales revenue as an international drug developer and marketer. As a result, Gilead now had direct exposure to these dynamic markets as well and could leverage Nexstar’s enhanced sales capabilities to sell its products overseas.

Gilead changed its strategy to focus entirely on antivirals in 2002. Hence, it sold its cancer assets to OSI Pharmaceuticals and began looking around for promising companies.

Onwards & Upwords Thanks To Continous Acquisitions 

Starting from 2002, Gilead went on an acquisitions spree and never looked back.

In 2002, Gilead acquired Triangle Pharmaceuticals for $464 million. Triangle’s main drug was about to be approved by FDA and it had a few antivirals in the pipeline that were quite promising. Hence, Gilead wasted no time in acquiring it. It proved to be a good decision as soon after Triangle’s drugs were approved for the treatment of Hepatitis C and HIV.

This was the crucial time in Gilead’s history where it was crystal clear that the company has transformed from a biotech startup to a pharmaceutical company.

In 2006, Gilead acquired Myogen Inc and Corus Pharma Inc. These tactful acquisitions allowed Gilead expand into the cardiovascular and respiratory arena. While Myogen was developing Aambrisentan and Darusentan for hypertension as well as marketing Flolan that treated pulmonary diseases, Corus was developing a drug, aztreonam lysine, for treating cystic fibrosis. The acquisition of Myogen, in particular, was highly successful and helped Gilead solidify its position.

In 2009, Gilead acquired CV Therapeutics Inc, augmenting its cardiovascular franchise with two new drugs - Ranexa and Lexiscan. By this time, it was no surprise that Gilead was one of the fastest-growing companies. In 2010, Gilead acquired CGI Pharmaceuticals and Arresto Biosciences, Inc. to expand its research expertise. The very next year, Gilead again added two companies to its portfolio by acquiring Calistoga Pharmaceuticals and Pharmasset Inc. While the former improved Gilead’s oncology and inflammation departments, the latter made Gilead the leader in the treatment of Hepatitis C virus.

The following year, YM Biosciences, Inc. was acquired by Gilead to boost its oncology product pipeline. The year 2015 saw Gilead acquiring 3 companies: Phenex Pharmaceuticals, EpiTherapeutics, and Galapagos NV. Through each acquisition, Gilead got something beneficial in return. Phenex Pharmaceuticals through its flagship Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) program offered treatment for liver diseases, EpiTherapeutics provided the opportunity to make a mark in regulating gene transcription in cancer, and Galapagos NV gave anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of various diseases, including arthritis and Chrons disease. 

In 2016, Gilead acquired Nimbus Apollo, Inc., and the next year it acquired Kite Pharma and Cell Design Labs to diversify its product portfolio and continue to expand.

In 2020, Gilead acquired Forty Seven Inc to strengthen its clinical pipeline and work to help more patients deal with some of the most dangerous forms of cancer. In the same year, Gilead also acquired Pionyr Immunotherapeutics Inc, Immunomedics, and MYR GmbH to further delve into the field of immuno-oncology, strengthen its position in the cancer treatment industry, and enhance its product portfolio.

Key Takeaway 4: Strategic Acquisitions Can Help Grow Exponentially

After introducing its first drug, Gilead quickly realized that it needed to gain market share.

Vistide was a valuable and successful drug, and Gilead knew it had given the company a competitive advantage in the international market. The simplest way to grow quickly was through an acquisition. 

Hence, Gilead acquired Nexstar Pharmaceuticals. It was an excellent way to enter new markets, increase sales, use another company’s brand name, and profit from new products. Gilead took over a 480-person company and managed to achieve unrivaled success.

Nexstar’s acquisition meant the company was now operating on the international stage and had access to markets in Australia and Europe. It provided Gilead’s upcoming products with a large consumer base and a much better chance of recovering the costs of R&D.

From there onwards, Gilead acquired a company or two every year in order to expand and diversify its product portfolio, enhance its research capabilities, and continue to grow at a rapid pace.

Do Business & Do Good - Together

A Corporate Social Responsibility Approach Next To None

The company continues to donate essential drugs for the treatment of various diseases all around the globe. For instance, it donates 200,000 units of Truvada worldwide and makes generous charitable donations to HIV and liver diseases organizations.

It was quick to recognize the environmental problems that the world was experiencing and knew it had a pivotal role to play. 

Gilead launched its zero-footprint program and began raising awareness about the need to “be more ambitious” before it’s too late.

The company’s goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025. Since 2016, the number of their green-certified buildings has increased dramatically, and Gilead continues to do business responsibly.

In addition, Gilead has continued to invest in renewable energy and grown its green energy portfolio significantly. 

Gilead has adopted environmental sustainability in order to give back to the community and present itself as a socially responsible business that does what’s right.

Keeping the Employees Happy 

Gilead has always prioritized the well-being of its people. Gilead does it all from implementing favorable policies that facilitate and empower employees to ensure holistic wellness.

When Gilead was constructing environmentally sustainable buildings and labs, it did not overlook its employees.

The building plans were shown to them to ensure that all of the researchers were happy working there. 

The company considered these labs to be future workplaces because they focused on environmental sustainability while keeping employees health and well-being in mind.

Remdesivir is Here to Put Up a Fight Against COVID-19

Gilead has had its ups and downs.

Regardless, when push came to shove, the company put in substantial effort to find a cure and put up a fight against COVID-19 that ravaged the world. 

This was a crucial time for the company to demonstrate that it is committed to transforming the world for the better.

The company went the extra mile to deliver a solution - Remdesivir - thanks to the US government funding the development with $79 million.

From coming up with the revolutionary vaccine to seeking FDA approval for Remdesivir, Gilead went through numerous stages as quickly as it could and made it available to the masses in record-time.

The drug was marketed under the brand name Veklury; it was administered as an injection into the veins. On May 1, 2019, it was approved as an emergency treatment for people suffering from severe COVID-19 side effects in approximately 50 countries.

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Source: Doc James, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gilead announced that the drug would cost $390 per vial for governments in developed countries and $520 for private insurance companies. The treatment is expected to require a total of six injections.

As the number of patients increased, the company was forced to abandon the drug’s status as an “orphan drug” and obtain 20-year patents in over 70 countries.

All of these consistent efforts ensured Gilead’s position as one of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies. It was the first company to launch a drug against COVID-19 and save lives, demonstrating the team’s intense research skills and commitment to make the world a better place.

File:Gilead Sciences headquarters (Foster City, CA) - 2.jpg
Source: Suiren2022, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The company has undoubtedly justified how it grew from a small company that did not generate profits in its first decade to a thriving $84.4 billion empire.

Do you recall Menlo Ventures, which invested in Gilead in its first year? Gilead is now the company’s primary rival! 

Key Takeaway 5: Always Do Right By The People & Planet

Gilead has implemented effective strategies to ensure it positively impacts all its stakeholders, including employees and the communities it is a part of.

By focusing on the bigger picture - benefiting the people and the planet - Gilead has grown sustainably. It has done everything from embracing eco-friendly energy sources to catering to the needs of its employees and standing tall during challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic and donating medicines.

This showcases the need for companies to do more and not just double down on accumulating profits but rather make a difference.

Summary And Key Takeaways

Today, Gilead is not just one of the biggest companies in the pharma industry – it is one of the largest companies in the world with operations in more than 30 countries.

However, it did not get here overnight or with considerable ease.

From when the idea came into Riordan’s mind to today’s date, the company has faced countless challenges - some of which even threatened the company’s survival.

Growth By Numbers

Gilead has grown considerably in recent years - both in size and in numbers - with significant advancements in biotechnology and the emergence of cures for various diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also pushed Gilead to the limelight, with the company working on both prevention and curative medicine for the virus.

Thus, it has produced promising growth numbers from pre and post COVID. 

Here’s a snapshot of the company’s performance.

 

2021

2018

Revenue

$24.689B

$22.127B

Share Price

64.88

55.47

Employees

13,600

11,000

Total Assets

$67.984B

$63.675B

Key Strategic Takeaways

From a company that couldn’t register any profits for 14 years to becoming one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

Let’s recount some of the major approaches and takeaways that we have explored from it.

  1. Be Driven By Meaningful Goals

Many new businesses fail to succeed because they are formed with a clear idea of what they hope to achieve. Gilead was not one of them.

Riordan had formed the company with a clear motivation to transform the availability of medicine and cures in the world. Moreover, after his dengue fever, this was a very personal goal for him.

Thus, when the company faced its initial set of challenges, Riordan approached them with a positive mindset of finding solutions instead of getting bogged down. If he did not find funding from one source, he did not stop.

He searched different avenues and eventually found sufficient finances to help the business survive its difficult period and find a strong footing to expand its operations and move to a better facility.

  1. Motivate Employees So They Drive The Company Ahead

Whether due to sheer luck or through inspiration, Riordan’s team was as motivated as him for the company to achieve success.

Thus, even when the company was unable to register any profits or get any of its drugs approved, the staff at Gilead refused to stop its work. Instead, the team members put in their maximum effort and committed to research and development, while Riordan tried to secure financing for the company.

Finally, after the IPO, the company achieved some form of financial stability, which was a further incentive for the employees to continue their efforts.

Thus, led by Riordan, the ambitious Gilead team saw out this period of hardship and was now ready to make significant inroads, medically and financially.

  1. Tactful Acquisitions Can Propel You Forward

With Gilead’s products starting to get approved and showing immense potential in the local market, the acquisition of Nexstar was the perfect opportunity for the company to scale up and explore new markets.

This was a well-calculated move. Nexstar’s goals and products aligned with the targets of Gilead, and both firms benefitted from the deal.

It provided Gilead ownership of key drugs that were already doing well, along with a well-established reputation in Australia and Europe.

Thus, a company that struggled to survive for more than a decade, was launched into the international stage, ready to recover its losses, make profits, and take its revolutionary idea to different parts of the world.

  1. Focus On The Quality of Products & All Else Will Follow

Gilead continues to spend time, money, and resources on R&D in order to develop cutting-edge products that treat key problems such as inflammation, eye and respiratory diseases, liver diseases, and HIV to name a few.

It is these very products that help Gilead make a name for itself, establish key partnerships, earn money, and scale.

It highlights that for all businesses - big and small - the quality of their products and services is essential if they want to survive and thrive. 

  1. The Public Is The Most Important Stakeholder

Gilead has done right by all its stakeholders and the planet while doing business. This says a lot about the company.

It has gained the public's trust and established itself as a firm driven to achieve better outcomes for society.

Gilead launched a number of CSR programs that it has continued ever since. From donating medicines to adopting sustainable practices, it has done it all. 

Moreover, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the company again showed its commitment to the public by introducing Remdesivir and helping countries better respond to the health crisis.

Thus, the company's future growth trajectory is based upon Gilead's initial motivation to cure untreatable diseases and to make a difference in society at large.

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