Sovaldi sales help push revenue increases for Gilead Sciences

Boosted by a 15% increase in 2013 antiviral product sales over the previous year, Gilead Sciences announced fourth-quarter sales were up 21% from 2012 and full-year revenues improved by 15%, according to a company press release.

Gilead’s annual product sales climbed to $10.8 billion, up 15% from $9.4 billion in 2012, and the release said the company’s newest product, Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) 400 mg tablets, played a significant role in sales increases. Approved by the FDA in December, Sovaldi is indicated for use in combination with other agents for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus.

The company said Sovaldi sales were “driven by initial inventory stocking, patient demand and a clinical trial order.” Sovaldi is a once-daily oral nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor for treating patients with HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3 or 4 infection; patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, awaiting liver transplantation; and patients coinfected with HCV/HIV-1.

Along with Sovaldi, other Gilead antivirals — including Stribild (elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Complera/Eviplera (emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) — helped increase 2013 sales 15% to $9.34 billion over $8.14 billion in 2012. The release said sales growth included jumps of 19% and 6% in the United States and Europe, respectively.

Gilead’s 2013 total revenues were $11.2 billion, up 15%, compared with $9.7 billion in 2012, according to the release.