GILD Stock Slips as CVS Health Excludes New HIV Drug Yeztugo

Core Insights - Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) shares fell 2.2% following CVS Health's decision not to include GILD's new HIV prevention drug, Yeztugo, in its commercial plans for the time being [1][8] - CVS Health's decision was influenced by clinical, financial, and regulatory factors, and Yeztugo will not be covered under its Affordable Care Act formularies [2] - GILD is negotiating with CVS regarding Yeztugo, which has a U.S. list price exceeding $28,000 annually [2] Gilead's Product Developments - Yeztugo received FDA approval in June 2025 for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg, and it is the first and only twice-yearly HIV PrEP option available in the U.S. [3][5] - GILD aims to secure 75% insurer coverage for Yeztugo by year-end 2025 and 90% within 12 months [3] Market Context - Currently, GILD markets two FDA-approved daily oral medications for PrEP: Truvada and Descovy [4] - GILD's shares have increased by 25.7% year-to-date, outperforming the industry growth of 4% [5] Acquisition Activity - Gilead's subsidiary, Kite, announced an agreement to acquire Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million, which focuses on developing in vivo CAR therapeutics [7][9] - This acquisition is expected to impact GILD's earnings per share by approximately $0.23-$0.25 [8][9] Competitive Landscape - Gilead currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), while CorMedix (CRMD) and ANI Pharmaceuticals (ANIP) have better rankings with Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [10] - CorMedix's earnings per share estimates have increased significantly, and its shares have rallied 49.1% year-to-date [11] - ANI Pharmaceuticals has also seen a slight increase in earnings estimates and a year-to-date share increase of 29.4% [12]