Clinical trial results come as Gilead continues to face lawsuits over side effects of some of its older HIV drugs, claiming the manufacturer delayed introduction of safer formulations to extend it's monopoly over the HIV market.
HIV drug settlement does not resolve the Truvada lawsuits, Atripla lawsuits, Stribild lawsits, Viread lawsuits and Complera lawsuits pending in California state court, where tens of thousands of additional claims are filed.
In addition to claims filed in federal court, Gilead faces about 24,000 TDF lawsuits in California state court, each raising similar allegations that the drug maker withheld a safer version of its HIV drugs.
California judges determined Truvada lawsuits, Atripla lawsuits, Stribild lawsits, Viread lawsuits and Complera lawsuits can be pursued by users who developed kidney damage, bone fractures and other side effects from the HIV drugs.
Researchers warn that the hypertension risks linked to Descovy appear to increase with the age of the patient.
Gilead claims it had no duty to develop safer TAF-based HIV drugs to replace its older TDF-based medications, including Truvada, Viread, Stribild and others, which have been linked to bone fractures, kidney injuries and other side effects.
Gilead failed adequately to warn users that its TDF-based HIV drugs could lead to bone demineralization, kidney disease and kidney damage, plaintiffs say.
Plaintiffs say they suffered bone demineralization, resulting in bone density loss and permanent injuries due to Gilead's marketing of a less safe formulation of the drugs in order to make more money.
Plaintiffs say kidney and bone injuries could have been avoided if Gilead had marketed its safer formulation to avoid the side effects of Atripla, Stribild and other HIV drugs.
Earlier Gilead antiviral drugs using similar molecular formulations carried black box warnings due to the risks of kidney damage.
