Attorney General Phil Weiser helps secure over $200 million from Gilead Sciences for paying illegal kickbacks

July 15, 2025 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser today joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 other attorneys general in securing $202 million from Gilead Sciences, Inc. for running an illegal kickback scheme to promote its HIV medications.

Colorado will receive more than $222,000 of the $49 million earmarked for state Medicaid programs across the country, with the remainder going to Medicare, Tricare, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. The settlement in principle was reached in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice and approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“Safeguarding Colorado’s Medicaid program is a responsibility we take very seriously at the Department of Law,” said Attorney General Weiser. “In this case, the company was taking advantage of people living with HIV who rely on medications to live, which is unconscionable. I will hold accountable any business or individual that violates the law by misusing or abusing taxpayer dollars, whether it’s a local provider or a multibillion-dollar drugmaker.”

From January 2011 to November 2017, Gilead violated federal anti-kickback laws by providing gifts to health care providers who attended and spoke at promotional speaker programs for Gilead’s HIV drugs: Stribild, Genvoya, Complera, Odefsey, Descovy, and Biktarvy. Gilead paid high-volume prescribers tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to present as “HIV Speakers.” The company also covered travel expenses for speakers, including those traveling long distances and to attractive destinations, such as Hawaii, Miami, and New Orleans, and hosted dinners at high-end restaurants.

The company’s policies and procedures failed to prevent its sales representatives from improperly offering incentives to induce prescriptions. Gilead’s internal compliance mechanisms failed to halt these violations.

The Colorado Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,858,544.00 for Federal Fiscal Year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,286,181.00 for FY 2025, is funded by the State of Colorado.

Joining Attorney General Weiser in securing settlements with Gilead are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Media Contact:
Elliot Goldbaum
Community Education and Communications Manager
(720) 508-6769 office
elliot.goldbaum@coag.gov