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As investors question the costs and returns of the AI boom, some are turning to defensive stocks in healthcare and consumer goods. Three that pay quarterly dividends stand out: Bristol Myers Squibb, Colgate-Palmolive, and Gilead Sciences. Bristol Myers Squibb shares are up 14.3% this year, with a forward dividend yield of 4.3% and 18 straight years of increases. Second-quarter revenue reached $13 billion, with newer products making up nearly 60%. Colgate-Palmolive is up 20.2% this year and has raised its dividend for 64 years in a row. It reported second-quarter revenue of $5.36 billion. Gilead shares have gained 26%, against 13% for the S&P 500. Second-quarter HIV sales rose 12% to $5.7 billion.

BioNTech to test pumitamig with Trodelvy in advanced TNBC. BioNTech plans to amend its Phase 3 ROSETTA Breast-01 trial to evaluate pumitamig with Gilead's Trodelvy in advanced triple-negative breast cancer, pending regulatory approval. BioNTech SE announced on October 22, 2026, a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Gilead Sciences to evaluate pumitamig in combination with sacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic PD-L1-low or PD-L1-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The companies plan to amend the Phase 3 ROSETTA Breast-01 trial to replace chemotherapy with the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), subject to regulatory approval. The safety and efficacy of the proposed combination have not been established. Pumitamig, also known as BNT327 or BMS-986545, is an investigational bispecific immunomodulator jointly developed by BioNTech and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). It is designed to bind programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). BioNTech will continue to sponsor and lead the trial, while Gilead will supply sacituzumab govitecan. ROSETTA Breast-01 trial design. ROSETTA Breast-01 (NCT07173751) is a global, randomized, double-blind Phase 3 trial evaluating pumitamig-based treatment in patients with locally advanced or metastatic TNBC with a PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) below 10. The study was initiated following positive results from a global Phase 2 trial of pumitamig plus chemotherapy, although the latest announcement does not provide detailed efficacy or safety data from that study. The currently registered trial plans to enroll approximately 558 participants. Its original design compares pumitamig plus physician's-choice chemotherapy with placebo plus the same chemotherapy. Options include paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel, gemcitabine plus carboplatin, and eribulin. The primary efficacy measures include progression-free survival (PFS), assessed by blinded independent central review, and overall survival (OS). Planned protocol modification. BioNTech and BMS plan to replace chemotherapy with sacituzumab govitecan, pending regulatory approval. The companies describe ROSETTA Breast-01 as the first global Phase 3 trial designed to evaluate pumitamig in combination with an ADC. Peter Schmid, M.D., Ph.D., the trial's lead investigator and director of the Breast Cancer Centre at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, said treatment options have evolved since the study began, with TROP2-directed ADCs increasingly influencing first-line treatment decisions in advanced TNBC. BioNTech Chief Medical Officer Özlem Türeci, M.D., said the amendment aims to evaluate whether combining pumitamig with sacituzumab govitecan can further improve patient outcomes. The announcement does not specify the revised comparator arm, whether enrollment or endpoints will change, or when the amended protocol would take effect. The public trial registry continues to describe the original chemotherapy-based design and does not yet list sacituzumab govitecan. Mechanistic rationale for the combination. Pumitamig is designed to combine immune modulation through PD-L1 targeting with VEGF-A inhibition. According to BioNTech, binding to PD-L1 may help localize VEGF-A blockade within the tumor microenvironment. This is a proposed mechanism, not a demonstrated clinical effect of the combination. Sacituzumab govitecan targets TROP2 and delivers a cytotoxic payload to cancer cells. Combining the ADC with pumitamig is intended to investigate whether these complementary approaches can improve antitumor activity. However, no efficacy, safety, or tolerability results have been reported for the proposed combination. Clinical interpretation. The planned amendment reflects an effort to align ROSETTA Breast-01 with the evolving treatment landscape in advanced TNBC. Replacing chemotherapy with sacituzumab govitecan could allow investigators to assess pumitamig alongside an ADC that BioNTech considers increasingly relevant to first-line treatment. The change also creates an important evidence question: whether adding pumitamig provides a meaningful benefit beyond sacituzumab govitecan alone. The announcement does not establish that benefit, and the earlier Phase 2 results supporting the original trial are not detailed in the release. The clinical significance of the revised design will depend on the final protocol and subsequent efficacy and safety findings. Regulatory approval remains pending, and no implementation timeline has been disclosed. Until the amended protocol is formally documented, the public registry should be understood as reflecting the original chemotherapy-based study. BioNTech and BMS also plan to explore pumitamig in additional Phase 3 combination trials across multiple solid tumors. References. BioNTech SE. BioNTech Advances Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Pumitamig in Combination with Gilead's TROP2-Directed ADC Sacituzumab Govitecan in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. October 22, 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov. ROSETTA Breast-01: The Effects and Safety of Pumitamig in Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. NCT07173751. About the Writer Aasritha Thippavajjala (Linkedin) is a pharm D student and aspiring medical writer with medical writing, clinical training experience and a strong interest in clinical research and patient safety She has hands-on exposure to clinical pharmacy activities including medication profile assessment, clinical case review, identification of potential drug-related problems, ADR awareness, patient counselling, and clinical documentation. She has also gained experience in medical literature review, evidence synthesis, and scientific communication through her published review article on digital twin-based patient simulation and her poster presentation at the 74th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress. Certified in ICH Good Clinical Practice (E6(R3)) and Scientific Writing in Health Research, she is passionate about applying her clinical knowledge and research skills to medical writing ,clinical research and contributing to accurate, evidence-based healthcare.

Bank of America raises target for Gilead Sciences stock to USD 172.00. Published on 10/21/2026 at 10:37 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS Bank of America set a USD 172.00 target on October 20, 2026. Gilead Sciences stock is EUR 137.66, 1.15 percent below Xetra close. Guidance and earnings calendar. * Bank of America set a USD 172.00 target on October 20, 2026. * Second-quarter revenue reached USD 7.80 billion, up 10.6 percent year over year. * Gilead Sciences stock trades at EUR 137.66 at 10:34 a.m. CEST at Lang & Schwarz on October 21, 2026, 1.15 percent below the Xetra close of October 20, 2026. * Gilead Sciences plans to report third-quarter results on October 29, 2026. Gilead Sciences (ISIN US3755581036) received a higher USD 172.00 price target from Bank of America, up from USD 168.00 in the October 20, 2026 note, as MarketBeat reported. At Lang & Schwarz, the stock was trading at EUR 137.66 on October 21, 2026 at 10:34 a.m. CEST, 1.15 percent below the Xetra close of October 20, 2026. Discover more Track Biotech Get Tested Three events shape the stock. On August 4, 2026, Gilead reported second-quarter revenue of USD 7.80 billion, up 10.6 percent year over year, while the company posted a GAAP net loss of USD 10.5 billion, according to Markets Insider. On October 7, 2026, Truist Financial lifted its target from USD 150.00 to USD 158.00, according to the same dated analyst coverage carried by MarketBeat. On October 20, 2026, Bank of America raised its target from USD 168.00 to USD 172.00 while maintaining a Buy rating. What does the HIV outlook mean? The operating signal is stronger than the GAAP loss suggests. In its second-quarter 2026 call, Gilead said HIV sales rose 12 percent year over year to USD 5.7 billion and raised full-year HIV growth guidance to 9 percent to 10 percent from 8 percent, as Yahoo Finance reported. The same call showed quarterly PrEP sales above USD 1.0 billion and total product sales of USD 7.6 billion, up 8 percent year over year. When are the next results due? Gilead is scheduled to report third-quarter 2026 results on October 29, 2026 after the market close, with the conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET, according to the company's investor calendar at Gilead Sciences. The earnings release will test whether the raised HIV outlook and new product launches can offset acquisition-related costs and pressure in cell therapy. Stock trades below the Xetra close. Gilead Sciences has a market capitalization of EUR 169.9 billion and a 52-week range of EUR 98.96 to EUR 142.80 as of October 21, 2026. The current quote sits EUR 5.14 below that 52-week high, while the next results date gives investors a defined near-term checkpoint. Discover more Invest in Stocks Check Loan Rates The stock was trading at EUR 137.66 at Lang & Schwarz on October 21, 2026 at 10:34 a.m. CEST, down 1.15 percent versus the Xetra close of October 20, 2026 at EUR 139.26. The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Gilead Sciences stock. Gilead Sciences stock facts. * Company: Gilead Sciences, Inc. * ISIN: US3755581036 * Ticker: GILD * Primary exchange: NASDAQ * Price Lang & Schwarz (as of October 21, 2026, 10:34 a.m. CEST): EUR 137.66 * Change versus Xetra close: minus 1.15 percent * Xetra close (October 20, 2026): EUR 139.26 * Market capitalization: EUR 169.9 billion (as of October 21, 2026) * 52-week range: EUR 98.96-EUR 142.80 (as of October 21, 2026) * Sector / Industry: Healthcare / Drug Manufacturers - General * Next earnings date: October 29, 2026 Sponsored Ad Gilead Sciences stock: new analysis - 23 October. Discover more Trade Forex Nachrichten-Abonnement Fresh Gilead Sciences information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends. Disclaimer regarding our articles: This is not investment advice, nor is it a recommendation to buy or sell. Information regarding prices, companies, and markets is provided without guarantee; changes may occur at any time. Stock market transactions can result in significant losses. Our articles are created and reviewed, in whole or in part, automatically with the assistance of AI. en | US3755581036 | GILEAD SCIENCES | boerse | 70381597 | bgmi