By Katherine Hamilton

A change in Medicare policy is expected to flatten revenue from Gilead Science's HIV products, one of its most profitable segments.

The biopharmaceutical company anticipates reforms to Medicare Part D, a voluntary prescription drug coverage, will lop off $1.1 billion of its 2025 revenue with almost $900 million coming from HIV products. As a result, HIV revenue for the year is expected to be flat with 2024 at about $19.6 billion. Gilead estimates HIV product sales would have increased 5% in 2025 if it weren't for the added costs from the Medicare reforms.

The reforms are mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act and require Medicare prescription drug plans to allow enrollees to use capped monthly installments to pay for out-of-pocket prescription drugs.

It also requires drug manufacturers to provide discounts for patients during initial coverage and catastrophic phases, as well as for people who qualify for the low-income subsidy $(LIS.AU)$ program. LIS users are disproportionately impacted by HIV, Gilead said, which is why the change would have such a major impact on that business.

The HIV segment went a long way in boosting Gilead's earnings, with its product sales climbing 16% in the fourth quarter. Higher demand and volume made it the most profitable segment in the past quarter, and offset decreasing sales for its Covid-19 treatment.

Shares of Gilead were up 7% to $103.27 on Wednesday, at one point touching a 52-week high of $104.71, after fourth-quarter earnings and outlook beat Wall Street's expectations.

Write to Katherine at katherine.hamilton@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 12, 2025 12:13 ET (17:13 GMT)

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