New York, Jan 23, 2026, 15:38 EST — Regular session
Gilead Sciences shares climbed $4.59, or 3.5%, to $135.73 in Friday afternoon trading, building on a strong two-day surge and hitting new highs. The stock started the day at $131.26 and fluctuated between $130.65 and $136.26, with roughly 8.8 million shares traded.
This week, Gilead updated investors after The New England Journal of Medicine released full Phase 3 data on Trodelvy combined with Merck’s Keytruda for first-line PD-L1-positive metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The company reported the combo cut the risk of disease progression or death by 35% compared to Keytruda plus chemotherapy. Gilead has since filed supplemental applications with regulators in the U.S. and Europe. “The urgent need for new and more efficacious treatment options” persists, Chief Medical Officer Dietmar Berger emphasized. 1
Why it matters now: Trodelvy stands as a key pillar in Gilead’s oncology growth strategy, and gaining approval for earlier-line use could significantly expand its market potential. Investors are watching the breast cancer results closely, viewing them as a barometer for whether the company’s cancer efforts can provide more consistent catalysts beyond its established franchises.
Trodelvy is an antibody-drug conjugate that links an antibody to a chemotherapy payload, targeting cancer cells directly. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), on the other hand, is an immunotherapy designed to boost the immune system’s attack on tumors. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute noted that the ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 trial results might reshape first-line treatment for advanced triple-negative breast cancer—a rapidly progressing disease with few treatment options. 2
The rally kept momentum. Gilead jumped 4.0% to close at $129.11 on Wednesday (Jan. 21) and then pushed another 1.6% higher to $131.14 on Thursday (Jan. 22), hitting back-to-back 52-week highs. On Thursday, the stock outpaced big pharma names like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, while Abbott slid. 3
Another filing from late last week grabbed notice. On Thursday, Deborah Telman submitted a Form 144 revealing plans to offload as many as 29,215 shares. The bulk of those shares stem from an option exercise dated Jan. 22, according to the document. 4
The upside case still hinges on several factors. Regulatory reviews tend to drag and vary in pace, while oncology launches often hit snags with safety issues, labeling language, or resistance from payers—even after solid trial results. With the market having already adjusted the story sharply, any hold-up or a label that’s tighter than expected could put pressure on the shares.
Traders are eyeing Gilead’s upcoming quarterly report, set for Feb. 10 according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar. 5
