Better Health for All

Gilead Sciences Inc. primarily develops and commercializes medicines for life-threatening diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, influenza, and cancer, indicating a strong positive health impact from its core products. The company has demonstrated significant efforts to improve access and affordability, including signing royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements for its HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, in 120 low-income countries.

This also reflects exceptional patent flexibility and a strong focus on preventative health. Gilead's Advancing Access program offers patient support, including co-pay assistance and free medication for eligible individuals in the U.S. , and it provides $3 million in grants to eight organizations to reduce HIV disparities and improve healthcare access in rural U.S. communities , demonstrating comprehensive health equity programs and reach to vulnerable populations. However, Gilead has faced criticism for its practices. It agreed to a $202 million settlement for allegations of paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to promote HIV drugs , raising significant ethical marketing concerns. The company also faced scrutiny over the high pricing of its hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi, at $1,000 per pill. Additionally, Gilead uses tax structures that have drawn criticism for potentially depriving governments of revenue for public health initiatives , representing significant negative health externalities.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Gilead Sciences Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company, and its core business activities do not involve lending, insuring, moving, or storing money for consumers. The company does not offer financial products or services such as loans, credit, or deposit accounts. While Gilead engages in philanthropic initiatives and programs to enhance access to medicines in low-income regions and for underserved communities, these efforts relate to healthcare access and equity, not financial inclusion or economic opportunity as defined by the rubric's KPIs for financial institutions. For example, in February 2024, Gilead committed $12.6 million in grants to 19 organizations focused on improving the HIV landscape for Black cisgender and transgender women and girls in the U.S.

Therefore, all KPIs within the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value are not applicable to Gilead's operations.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

In April 2024, Gilead reported a global weighted salary ratio of 99.93:100 for women to men, indicating near parity in compensation

, with women comprising over half of the workforce . The company has established a Global Inclusion & Diversity Council, chaired by its CEO , and supports six employee resource groups with over 6,100 participants . Gilead offers flexible work options through its G.Flex program and provides global well-being reimbursements and volunteer opportunities . For three consecutive years, Gilead has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index . Its Code of Ethics mandates compliance with all laws and fair dealing , with a commitment to ensuring products are free from human slavery and trafficking , and plans to update related training materials . However, some employee reviews from January 2022 raised concerns about work-life balance and overwork .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Gilead Sciences emphasizes ethical sourcing and supply chain transparency, supported by a Supplier Code of Conduct that demands adherence to high legal and ethical standards, including the avoidance of child or forced labor.

The company promotes supplier inclusion and diversity, having pledged over $1 billion with diverse suppliers from 2021-2025. Gilead also works with law enforcement to address counterfeit medication risks and maintain supply chain integrity.

Honest & Fair Business

Gilead Sciences Inc. incurred $448.75 million in ethics-related regulatory fines in the past three years.

This includes a $202 million settlement in April 2025 for violating the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute by paying remuneration to doctors to prescribe HIV drugs from 2011 to 2017. , Additionally, the company faced a $246.75 million fine in 2024 for price-fixing or anti-competitive practices. Regarding its anti-corruption policy, Gilead has an Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy that prohibits bribery and facilitation payments, includes third-party due diligence, and provides ongoing training to employees. However, the company's policies and procedures failed to prevent the aforementioned kickback scheme, indicating a lapse in enforcement effectiveness. Gilead maintains a comprehensive whistleblower policy, encouraging employees to report concerns in a safe and confidential environment, with a strict prohibition against retaliation. The company provides a confidential Ethics Hotline, hosted by an independent third party, accessible 24/7 globally in multiple languages, and allows for anonymous reporting where permitted by local law. New and existing employees receive ethics and compliance training, and the company is committed to investigating all reported potential violations.

Kind to Animals

Gilead Sciences voluntarily seeks and maintains accreditation from AAALACi for all internal animal programs.

The company conducts animal studies, which it states are a vital part of its efforts and required by regulatory agencies. Its Animal Use and Welfare Policy, established in 2021, commits to ethical treatment and responsible use, only employing animals when alternatives cannot provide necessary data or when required by regulators. All animal studies must be scientifically and ethically reviewed and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Gilead is a member of the 3Rs Leadership Group with the Innovation and Quality Consortium. Through the Innovation and Quality Consortium, Gilead makes financial contributions to AAALAC for the Global 3Rs Awards. However, the company is listed by Cruelty Free Investing for employing animal testing in product development.

No War, No Weapons

Gilead Sciences has an ongoing agreement with the U.S. Army, valued at up to $60.4 million until the end of 2024, for the development of Ebola treatments intended for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense

. This demonstrates an ongoing link to the domain of controversial weapons. Additionally, the company received a contract of approximately $10.8 million to supply remdesivir to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service , and entered an agreement to supply remdesivir to the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity for Department of Defense personnel . There is no evidence of divestment from these defense-related activities.

Planet-Friendly Business

Gilead Sciences reported total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions of 1.069 million tCO2e in 2024, representing a 12.74% decline from 2023.

The company has SBTi-validated targets to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46% and Scope 3 emissions by 15% by 2030, with 41% progress reported towards its Scope 1 and 2 target. Gilead aims for carbon net-zero operational emissions by 2030. As of 2024, 30.69% of its total operational energy consumption is sourced from renewables. The company reports that 54% of its suppliers have set or committed to setting SBTi targets. Gilead has published a TCFD Summary Report, which includes detailed physical and transition risk scenario analyses. In 2023, 65% of its water withdrawal was sourced from water-stressed basins.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Gilead Sciences has established three formal partnerships with indigenous or local community groups.

These include collaborations with the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) and the Lowitja Institute in Australia, as well as a partnership with a local foundation for the Linfen Red Ribbon School in China.

Safe & Smart Tech

In 2020, Gilead faced a class action lawsuit alleging a privacy breach where mailing envelopes marked 'HIV Prevention Team' exposed recipients' confidential health information, leading to claims of negligence and violation of privacy rights.

No other incidents of unauthorized data use have been documented in the provided information since 2020. Gilead has a Privacy and Data Ethics team that manages compliance across regions like Europe and Australia. The company has experienced cybersecurity incidents, including data breaches, but these have not had a material impact as of the end of 2023. Gilead assesses its cybersecurity maturity annually using the NIST framework. Gilead conducts vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. Gilead provides employee cybersecurity training and awareness programs covering phishing, ransomware, and cloud security. The Audit Committee receives quarterly cybersecurity updates. Gilead utilizes AI in drug discovery, clinical trials, personalized medicine, and an enterprise search tool.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Gilead Sciences has established several waste reduction targets with specific timelines. The company aims to reduce total waste generation by 20% by 2030

and plans to achieve zero waste to landfill status at all owned facilities by the same year . Additionally, Gilead is working to eliminate single-use plastics at its offices by 2025 . For packaging, the company commits to ensuring 100% of its product packaging is widely recyclable or reusable and plans to use 30% post-consumer recycled content in all plastic packaging and 70% recycled content paper by 2025 .