23 who laughed at the recession

CEO since 1996: John C Martin

Under CEO John Martin's direction, Gilead developed the first one-pill, once-a-day AIDS treatment that eliminates many of the side effects of earlier drug cocktails.

Gilead already has dominant position in AIDS treatment, so stealing market share won't lead to big growth.

Instead, Martin hopes that new guidelines recommending earlier treatment will boost sales. In 2009, they were up 31%, to $7 billion, and profits were up 31% to $2.6 billion.

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