By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) – Gilead Sciences Inc on Thursday said its first-quarter revenue rose 3%, helped by increased sales of HIV drug Biktarvy and COVID-19 antiviral drug Veklury.
The biotech company said adjusted earnings rose 4% from a year ago to $2.12 per share, topping the average analyst estimate of $1.81, as compiled by Refinitiv.
Revenue for the quarter rose to $6.6 billion from $6.4 billion, ahead of Wall Street estimates of $6.27 billion.
Gilead’s HIV drug sales rose 2% to $3.7 billion, slightly ahead of Wall Street estimates.
Sales of remdesivir, which is sold under the brand name Veklury, rose 5% to $1.5 billion, exceeding analysts’ estimates of $1.15 billion.
For full-year 2022, the California-based company said it still expects adjusted earnings per share of $6.20 to $6.70 on product sales of $23.8 billion to $24.3 billion.
Net income for the quarter fell to $12 million from $1.72 billion mainly because of a $2.7 billion research and development impairment related to assets acquired by Gilead from Immunomedics in 2020.
(Reporting By Deena Beasley; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
