New York, Jan 23, 2026, 19:39 EST — After-hours
- Gilead shares climbed 3.65% on Friday, pushing their strong two-day rally even further
- The New England Journal of Medicine published new Phase 3 results for Trodelvy combined with Merck’s Keytruda
- Traders are focusing on the regulatory developments and await the company’s upcoming earnings report
Gilead Sciences shares climbed 3.65%, closing at $135.93 on Friday. The stock gained momentum after fresh breast cancer data refocused attention on the company’s oncology efforts. 1
Gilead announced that full Phase 3 data from the ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 trial have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study showed Trodelvy combined with Keytruda outperformed Keytruda plus chemotherapy for progression-free survival, which tracks how long patients live before cancer advances. The combo cut the risk of disease progression or death by 35%, with median progression-free survival reaching 11.2 months versus 7.8 months. Dietmar Berger, Gilead’s chief medical officer, called this “important progress” toward earlier use of Trodelvy. Dana-Farber’s Sara Tolaney described the findings as a “meaningful step forward.” Gilead has submitted supplemental applications to regulators in the U.S. and Europe. 2
This matters because pushing a drug into first-line treatment usually expands the patient base and can rapidly change sales forecasts. For Gilead, it’s also about the story: investors are looking for fresh growth drivers beyond its established franchises, and oncology remains the key area where the company is aiming to gain traction.
Trodelvy, an antibody-drug conjugate combining an antibody with a cell-killing agent, hinges heavily on subtle shifts in safety and dosing. The takeaway is clear: regulators approving the data means a longer runway for Trodelvy; if they don’t, the recent stock rally could unravel quickly.
A separate Form 144 filing revealed that CEO Daniel O’Day plans to sell up to 115,640 shares around Jan. 23. The total market value is estimated at roughly $15.6 million, with the sale handled through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. 3
The session closed out a choppy week in the U.S. with the Dow slipping 0.6%, while the S&P 500 crept up roughly 0.1%. Focus remained on individual stock drivers rather than a widespread risk-on mood. 4
Traders now focus on timing: how fast regulators act and what Gilead reveals about rollout plans if the filings proceed smoothly. New info on label language, reimbursement outlook, or trial updates could shift estimates.
Investors are watching a key date: Feb. 10 marks the next earnings report, according to Zacks data. That’s when management usually fields tougher questions about the pipeline and short-term demand. 5
Still, the upside comes with typical drug-development risks: regulators might demand extra follow-up, overall survival data can fall short or come late, and safety tolerance tends to be stricter in frontline use than in later stages. After a rapid surge, even a slight delay—or routine profit-taking—can send the stock sliding fast.
On Feb. 10, Gilead’s earnings report and its take on the Trodelvy filing route will likely drive the stock’s direction for the coming week.
