By Lauren Berg (January 18, 2022, 9:37 PM EST) — Gilead Sciences said a massive ring of small-time drug distributors and pharmacists was filling the biotech company’s branded HIV medication bottles with potentially dangerous drugs and selling the counterfeit pills to patients, according to a civil case unsealed Tuesday in New York federal court.

Gilead’s investigation found that more than 85,000 counterfeit bottles labeled as Gilead-branded medication have been sold to pharmacies over the past two years, altogether worth about $250 million, according to Lori Mayall, head of anti-counterfeiting and brand protection at Gilead.

“The health and safety of individuals who rely on our life-saving medications is our first priority,” Mayall…