Pharmasset

What Pharmasset does

Pharmasset was a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company founded in 1987 and headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, that specialized in developing oral antiviral therapeutics for serious viral infections, with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV as primary targets. The company operated a drug-development business model built around proprietary nucleoside/tide analog chemistry, advancing small-molecule antivirals through clinical trials toward regulatory approval and commercialization. Per the firmographic record, Pharmasset traded on NASDAQ under the ticker VRUS and is now classified as delisted following its 2012 acquisition by Gilead Sciences.

The company financed clinical development through a series of equity rounds, raising approximately $115.7 million across six disclosed financings between 1998 and 2010. Investors included MPM Capital (which led the 1999 and 2001 rounds), Burrill and Company (which led the 2004 round), DuPont (1998), and a 2004 syndicate that also included Bank of America Securities, CDIB BioScience Ventures, MDS Capital, and Techno Venture Management. G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill and Company, served as Chairman of the Board. The escalating round sizes and serial financings indicate sustained clinical pipeline advancement, with the 2004 round representing a step-change in capital scale.

A note on data quality: the firmographic record mixes standalone Pharmasset data with post-acquisition Gilead Sciences data. Fields such as the 5,001-10,000 employee count, the 25+ marketed medicines, the 47 clinical programs across Virology/Oncology/Inflammation, the current Gilead leadership roster (Daniel O'Day, Andrew Dickinson, etc.), and the "FDA Approves Trodelvy for First-Line mTNBC" regulatory action reflect the current Gilead Sciences entity rather than the historical Pharmasset business, which ceased independent operations in 2012.

Name

Pharmasset

Legal name

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Website

https://pharmasset.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Pharmasset was a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that developed oral nucleoside analog antivirals targeting hepatitis C, HIV, and other viral infections. Founded in 1987 in Princeton, New Jersey, it was acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2012.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Antiviral Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Antimicrobials Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Antiviral drug development
• Viral infection therapeutics
• Hepatitis treatments
• Clinical-stage pharmaceuticals
• Small molecule therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pharmasset is a pharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes novel drugs to treat viral infections. Headquartered in Princeton, United States, the company focused on antiviral therapeutics before being acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2012, after which its NASDAQ listing (VRUS) was delisted.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• GSK: GSK controls ViiV (HIV), pursues oncology and specialty medicines, and pursues global health access in LMICs in parallel with subject — a comparable diversified pharma footprint with deeper HIV exposure via ViiV.
• Roche: Roche is the global oncology incumbent and has an antiviral presence (e.g., influenza), making it a relevant broad peer on Oncology depth and an adjacent peer on infectious disease.
• Johnson & Johnson: J&J's Janssen division competes in HIV and is a top-3 oncology player, while its immunology franchise (Stelara, Tremfya) overlaps with subject's Inflammation pipeline, making it a broad incumbent across all three of subject's therapeutic areas.
• Pfizer: Pfizer has HIV heritage through co-ownership of ViiV and a broad oncology/inflammation portfolio (post-Seagen); operates as a diversified peer across subject's three therapeutic areas.
• Novartis: Novartis competes in oncology (Pluvicto, Kisqali) and immunology, overlapping with subject's Oncology and Inflammation therapeutic areas and operating with similar pharma-scale commercial reach.

Direct peers

• Merck & Co. Merck's HIV portfolio (Delstrigo/Pifeltro) and oncology dominance via Keytruda make it the closest large-cap peer in both virology and oncology, with comparable pipeline breadth.
• ViiV Healthcare: ViiV (majority-owned by GSK, with Pfizer and Shionogi) is the most direct HIV-focused competitor, with overlapping long-acting injectable programs (cabotegravir) that go head-to-head with subject's lenacapavir-class regimens.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb: BMS competes head-to-head with subject in HIV (e.g., atazanavir-era combinations) and immuno-oncology, and overlaps in inflammation; directly comparable diversified branded pharma with similar franchises.
• AbbVie: AbbVie's Mavyret franchise in HCV and HIV collaborations mirror subject's antiviral leadership, while its hematology/oncology and immunology (Humira/Skyrizi/Rinvoq) overlap with the Oncology and Inflammation therapeutic areas.

Emerging players

• Moderna: Moderna's mRNA platform targets infectious diseases (including HIV vaccine candidates) and oncology; an emerging player whose pipeline intersects with subject's Virology and Oncology focus areas but lacks the commercial-stage franchise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pharmasset