H. Rumsfeld Named Chairman of Gilead Sciences !!!!

[Guest guest]

H. Rumsfeld Named Chairman of Gilead Sciences

http://www.gilead.com/wt/sec/pr_933190157/

City, CA, January 3, 1997 - Gilead Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq:

GILD) today announced that board member H. Rumsfeld will

assume the position of Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Rumsfeld

succeeds L. Riordan, M.D., who founded Gilead in 1987 and

has served as Chairman since 1993. Dr. Riordan will continue to

serve as a director on the board.

" Gilead is fortunate to have had Don Rumsfeld as a stalwart board

member since the company's earliest days, and we are very pleased

that he has accepted the Chairmanship, " Dr. Riordan said. " He has

played an important role in helping to build and steer the company.

His broad experience in leadership positions in both industry and

government will serve us well as Gilead continues to build its

commercial presence. "

" In my years with Gilead, I have witnessed the evolution of one of

the industry's premier biotechnology companies, " Mr. Rumsfeld

said. " Riordan's founding vision and enormous

accomplishments are evident in the VISTIDE® product approval, deep

pipeline and talented team that will continue to move Gilead to

develop novel treatments for viral diseases. "

Mr. Rumsfeld, who joined Gilead as a director in 1988, is currently

in private business and is distinguished for his accomplishments in

both industry and government. Mr. Rumsfeld served as chief executive

officer of G.D. Searle, a worldwide pharmaceutical company, from

1977 to 1985. During this time, his stewardship of Searle earned him

awards as the Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the

pharmaceutical industry in 1980 and 1981. He also served as chairman

and chief executive of General Instrument Corporation, a diversified

electronics company and world leader in broadband and all digital

high definition television technology.

A graduate of Princeton University, Mr. Rumsfeld has served in

numerous positions of public service, including four terms in the

U.S. Congress, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, White House Chief of Staff

and as the 13th Secretary of Defense. In 1977, Mr. Rumsfeld was

awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal

of Freedom.

In addition to Gilead, Mr. Rumsfeld presently serves as an advisor

to several companies and as a member of the board of directors of

ABB AB; Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.; Kellogg; Metricom, Inc.; Sears,

Roebuck and Co. and Tribune Company. Mr. Rumsfeld's current civic

activities include service on the board of trustees of the

Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship, Freedom House and the RAND

Corporation.

Dr. Riordan will continue to assist the company with strategic

direction through his involvement on the board of directors. Since

founding the company in 1987, Riordan has overseen Gilead's

evolution to a leading biotechnology company with its first approved

product and a diversified pipeline of antiviral therapies.

" Riordan's vision and leadership have guided Gilead from a

start-up to a commercial company, and we are pleased to rely on his

continued counsel as an active board member, " C. , Ph.D.,

President and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead said. " Over the past

several years, I have enjoyed working with Don Rumsfeld as an active

director and look forward to his new role as Chairman as we continue

to build the Gilead business. "

Gilead Sciences is a leader in the discovery and development of a

new class of human therapeutics based on nucleotides, the building

blocks of DNA and RNA. In 1996, Gilead's first product, VISTIDE

(cidofovir injection), was cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug

Administration for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis

in patients with AIDS. Gilead has other nucleotide product

candidates in human testing for the potential treatment of viral

diseases caused by CMV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),

hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus and human papillomavirus.

The Company's research and development efforts encompass three

interrelated programs: small molecule antivirals, cardiovascular

therapeutics and genetic code blockers for cancer and other

diseases. Gilead's expertise in each of these areas has also

resulted in the discovery and development of non-nucleotide product

candidates, including neuraminidase inhibitors for the potential

treatment and prevention of viral influenza and protease inhibitors

for the potential treatment of HIV.

[Guest guest]

H. Rumsfeld Named Chairman of Gilead Sciences

http://www.gilead.com/wt/sec/pr_933190157/

City, CA, January 3, 1997 - Gilead Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq:

GILD) today announced that board member H. Rumsfeld will

assume the position of Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Rumsfeld

succeeds L. Riordan, M.D., who founded Gilead in 1987 and

has served as Chairman since 1993. Dr. Riordan will continue to

serve as a director on the board.

" Gilead is fortunate to have had Don Rumsfeld as a stalwart board

member since the company's earliest days, and we are very pleased

that he has accepted the Chairmanship, " Dr. Riordan said. " He has

played an important role in helping to build and steer the company.

His broad experience in leadership positions in both industry and

government will serve us well as Gilead continues to build its

commercial presence. "

" In my years with Gilead, I have witnessed the evolution of one of

the industry's premier biotechnology companies, " Mr. Rumsfeld

said. " Riordan's founding vision and enormous

accomplishments are evident in the VISTIDE® product approval, deep

pipeline and talented team that will continue to move Gilead to

develop novel treatments for viral diseases. "

Mr. Rumsfeld, who joined Gilead as a director in 1988, is currently

in private business and is distinguished for his accomplishments in

both industry and government. Mr. Rumsfeld served as chief executive

officer of G.D. Searle, a worldwide pharmaceutical company, from

1977 to 1985. During this time, his stewardship of Searle earned him

awards as the Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the

pharmaceutical industry in 1980 and 1981. He also served as chairman

and chief executive of General Instrument Corporation, a diversified

electronics company and world leader in broadband and all digital

high definition television technology.

A graduate of Princeton University, Mr. Rumsfeld has served in

numerous positions of public service, including four terms in the

U.S. Congress, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, White House Chief of Staff

and as the 13th Secretary of Defense. In 1977, Mr. Rumsfeld was

awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal

of Freedom.

In addition to Gilead, Mr. Rumsfeld presently serves as an advisor

to several companies and as a member of the board of directors of

ABB AB; Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.; Kellogg; Metricom, Inc.; Sears,

Roebuck and Co. and Tribune Company. Mr. Rumsfeld's current civic

activities include service on the board of trustees of the

Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship, Freedom House and the RAND

Corporation.

Dr. Riordan will continue to assist the company with strategic

direction through his involvement on the board of directors. Since

founding the company in 1987, Riordan has overseen Gilead's

evolution to a leading biotechnology company with its first approved

product and a diversified pipeline of antiviral therapies.

" Riordan's vision and leadership have guided Gilead from a

start-up to a commercial company, and we are pleased to rely on his

continued counsel as an active board member, " C. , Ph.D.,

President and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead said. " Over the past

several years, I have enjoyed working with Don Rumsfeld as an active

director and look forward to his new role as Chairman as we continue

to build the Gilead business. "

Gilead Sciences is a leader in the discovery and development of a

new class of human therapeutics based on nucleotides, the building

blocks of DNA and RNA. In 1996, Gilead's first product, VISTIDE

(cidofovir injection), was cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug

Administration for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis

in patients with AIDS. Gilead has other nucleotide product

candidates in human testing for the potential treatment of viral

diseases caused by CMV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),

hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus and human papillomavirus.

The Company's research and development efforts encompass three

interrelated programs: small molecule antivirals, cardiovascular

therapeutics and genetic code blockers for cancer and other

diseases. Gilead's expertise in each of these areas has also

resulted in the discovery and development of non-nucleotide product

candidates, including neuraminidase inhibitors for the potential

treatment and prevention of viral influenza and protease inhibitors

for the potential treatment of HIV.