- The disease remains a public health challenge with an estimated 50,000 to 90,000 new cases each year -

Company Website: https://www.gilead.com/
FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- (Business Wire)

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced a renewed five-year collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), committing funding, strategic support and product donations to accelerate progress toward eliminating visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar. VL, the second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria, is a sandfly-borne illness that attacks internal organs and can be fatal if untreated.

The expanded agreement aims to improve access to life-saving diagnostic services and treatment for some of the world's most vulnerable communities, with a sharpened focus on high-burden countries in East Africa. Gilead is committed to improving global health by advancing innovative treatments and partnering with organizations such as WHO to broaden access to medicines and help eliminate diseases like VL.

"Ending visceral leishmaniasis is within reach because of sustained commitment and investment," said Daniel O'Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilead Sciences. "Through the work to expand access to diagnosis and treatment for the disease, we have already made significant progress in endemic regions. With this expanded collaboration and stronger focus on East Africa, we will accelerate progress toward elimination and help ensure more people can access the care they need to survive.”

As part of this collaboration, Gilead will donate more than 400,000 vials of AmBisome® (amphotericin B) liposome for injection and $9.2 million in financial support through 2030. Gilead’s donations will support countries representing approximately 74% of the global VL burden, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Kenya, Nepal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen, with expanded support in Chad and Djibouti.

"This agreement underscores the power of strategic partnerships in advancing global health priorities. Through our collaboration with Gilead Sciences, WHO is better equipped to support countries in accelerating the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis as a public health problem," said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care, WHO. "Over the next five years, this collaboration will help expand access to essential tools, foster innovation, and reinforce health systems where the burden is greatest. It reflects our shared determination to translate commitment into measurable impact, ensuring that no community is left behind in the fight against neglected tropical diseases."

Since the start of the elimination program in Southeast Asia in 2005, this longstanding partnership with WHO has helped reduce new cases of VL by more than 95% in that region, significantly lowering the overall disease burden. In 2023, Bangladesh achieved a major milestone, with WHO validating the elimination of VL as a public health problem.

About Gilead’s Access & Health Equity

Gilead is committed to advancing global health equity at scale, particularly for neglected diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Through sustained, multiyear approaches including partnerships, voluntary licensing, and targeted access initiatives, Gilead expands access to medicines, strengthens health systems, and addresses serious diseases affecting communities with the greatest unmet need. By fostering innovative collaborations, the company supports sustainable health outcomes worldwide.

About Visceral Leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a severe parasitic disease endemic in approximately 80 countries worldwide and is the second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria. Transmitted through the bite of infected sandflies carrying the Leishmania parasite, VL attacks internal organs and can cause prolonged fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anemia, while increasing vulnerability to other life-threatening infections. If left untreated, VL is fatal in more than 95% of cases. It disproportionately affects people in some of the world's poorest regions and is closely linked to risk factors such as malnutrition, overcrowding, poor housing and sanitation, population displacement, environmental changes, weakened immune systems, and limited access to healthcare.

About AmBisome®

AmBisome® (amphotericin B) liposome for injection is indicated in the U.S. for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. In immunocompromised patients with VL treated with AmBisome®, relapse rates were high following initial clearance of parasites. AmBisome® is contraindicated in those patients who have demonstrated or have known hypersensitivity to amphotericin B deoxycholate or any other constituents of the product unless, in the opinion of the treating physician, the benefit of therapy outweighs the risk. Anaphylaxis has been reported with amphotericin B deoxycholate and other amphotericin B-containing drugs, including AmBisome®. If a severe anaphylactic reaction occurs, the infusion should be immediately discontinued and the patient should not receive further infusions of AmBisome®. See the full Prescribing Information for additional important safety information and recommended usage.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer and inflammation. In 2025, Gilead announced a planned $32 billion investment to further strengthen its U.S. footprint to power the next era of discovery, jobcreation and public health preparedness – while continuing to invest globally to ensure patients everywhere benefit from its scientific innovation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.

AmBisome, Gilead and the Gilead logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

U.S. full Prescribing Information for AmBisome is available at www.gilead.com.

For more information about Gilead, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on X/Twitter (@Gilead Sciences) and LinkedIn (@Gilead-Sciences).

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Contacts:

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public_affairs@gilead.com

Jacquie Ross, Investors
investor_relations@gilead.com

Source: Gilead Sciences, Inc.