August 17, 2021 | Health Matters

Gilead issues warning about counterfeit HIV drugs

Gilead has issued a warning that some pharmacies in the US may be selling HIV meds that have been tampered with. The company said that counterfeit versions of the company’s HIV treatment drug Biktarvy and its HIV treatment and prevention drug Descovy are currently circulating.

Distributors who are not legal reps have been selling the meds to various pharmacies who may not have been aware they were carrying the fake products. The fake tablets could cause “serious and sometimes life-threatening health risks.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been advised and the impacted pharmacies have been notified.

“The safety of individuals taking Gilead medication is always our first priority,” said Dr. Merdad Parsey, chief medical officer at Gilead Sciences. “We are taking aggressive action to ensure that healthcare providers and people who rely on our medicines can confidently distinguish authentic Gilead products from counterfeit drugs.”

Gilead described authentic Biktarvy tablets as “purplish-brown, capsule-shaped pills with ‘9883’ on one side and ‘GSI’ on the other.” And Descovy tablets should be blue and rectangular with ‘225’ on one side and ‘GSI’ on the other.

If you believe you've received a fake or tampered bottle of either Biktarvy or Descovy, you are encouraged to report it to your pharmacy and Gilead.