10 Best Affordable Healthcare Stocks to Buy Now

6. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)

Forward P/E: 14.88

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is one of the best affordable healthcare stocks to buy now. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) announced on December 22 that it has exercised its combined option to exclusively license Assembly Bio’s herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase inhibitor programs, which include long-acting investigational candidates ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 for recurrent genital herpes.

Management reported that these programs represent the programs advanced by Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) under the ongoing Assembly Bio R&D collaboration, bolstering their commitment to driving long-term growth through innovative therapies that address considerable unmet needs and building a novel antiviral pipeline.

Caused by HSV, genital herpes is a chronic infection that causes painful lesions, social and psychological stigma, and a higher risk of HIV acquisition. No new therapies have been approved for HSV in the US or Europe for over 25 years. ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 are novel long-acting inhibitors of viral helicase-primase, which is an enzyme critical for herpes virus replication and has the potential to enhance chronic suppression therapy for recurrent genital herpes. Management reported that positive interim Phase 1b data for ABI-5366 and ABI-1179 exhibited strong antiviral activity and improvements in clinical outcomes, which included a considerable drop in virus-positive lesions. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) further reported that both compounds have pharmacokinetic and safety profiles that are supportive of once-weekly oral dosing.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is a biotech company that advances medicines to prevent and treat serious diseases such as cancer, immunodeficiency virus (HIV), viral hepatitis, and COVID-19. Its portfolio of drugs focuses on medical areas with unmet needs and includes AmBisome, Atripla, Biktarvy, Cayston, Complera, and others. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) operates in over 35 countries.