Complera Class Action Lawsuit – A Legal Guide

Patients who took Complera, a Gilead HIV medicine containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), allege kidney, bone and tooth injuries. Gilead denies liability. Plaintiffs allege Gilead should have developed newer TAF medicines sooner. No recall has been issued for Complera, and no Complera-only class action exists. About 23,000 plaintiffs have active product liability cases against Gilead. They cover Viread, Truvada, Atripla, Stribild and Complera. As of December 2024, no MDL had been formed. The California Supreme Court ruled for Gilead on August 3, 2026. The Missouri court denied class certification in January 2026. The federal cases continue, and the first federal bellwether trial is set for March 2027.

Latest Complera Lawsuit Updates

August 3, 2026: California Supreme Court Rules for Gilead

The California Supreme Court ruled 6-1 for Gilead in the Gilead Tenofovir Cases, case S283862 [1]. The trial court was directed to enter summary judgment for Gilead on all causes of action, Gilead’s 10-Q says [2]. The court held that drug makers owe no duty of care to users of a nondefective drug. This covers decisions on whether and when to commercialize an allegedly safer alternative.

What Is Complera?

According to Gilead’s prescribing information, Complera combines emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and rilpivirine. These are HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors [3]. It is indicated as a complete regimen for treating HIV-1 infection. The generic name is emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. The FDA approved Complera in 2011, according to IAPAC [4].

Who May Be Affected?

People who took Complera or another Gilead TDF medicine may be affected. The others are Viread, Truvada, Atripla and Stribild. The pending cases describe people who later developed kidney, bone or tooth problems. About 23,000 active plaintiffs have cases in California and Missouri, according to Gilead’s 10-Q. The California state claims ended with the August 3, 2026 ruling, and the federal cases continue. Whether you qualify depends on an individual legal review. Related pages cover the Complera lawsuit, the Viread lawsuit and the Atripla lawsuit.

Reported Injuries or Damages

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits claim injuries to the kidneys, bones and teeth from Gilead’s TDF medicines, including Complera. These are allegations, and Gilead says it intends to vigorously defend itself. According to the Complera prescribing information, renal impairment, including cases of acute renal failure and Fanconi syndrome, has been reported with the use of TDF (Section 5.5). Section 5.6 says TDF, a component of Complera, was associated with slightly greater decreases in bone mineral density in clinical trials in HIV-1-infected adults. The label does not say Complera caused any plaintiff’s injury.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep any records that show what you took, when you took it and what happened afterward:

• Medication records showing the dates and doses of Complera or another TDF medicine
• Pharmacy and prescription records
• Kidney function lab results, such as creatinine and eGFR
• Bone density scans, fracture records and dental records
• Physician notes and diagnoses
• Photographs or notes on your symptoms
• Employment and out-of-pocket cost records
• Communications with your prescribers or Gilead

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines for injury claims come from state law. The time limit depends on your state and on the dates of the injury and diagnosis. If a deadline passes, a claim can end no matter how strong the facts are. A lawyer can check the deadline for your situation, and the sooner that happens the better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There a Complera Class Action Lawsuit?

There is no Complera-only class action lawsuit. One putative class action in Missouri covers all five Gilead TDF medicines, and the Eighth Circuit denied interlocutory review of the class certification order.

What Is the Gilead Controversy over Complera?

The Gilead controversy over Complera concerns claims that Gilead should be liable for not developing newer TAF medicines sooner. Gilead says plaintiffs acknowledged TDF medicines are not defective. It says TDF and TAF medicines remain FDA-approved and recommended in federal HIV treatment guidelines.

Did Gilead Make a Payment in the California Federal Case?

Gilead agreed to make a one-time payment in the California federal case, according to its 10-Q. The payment is approximately $39 million to a group of approximately 2,470 plaintiffs.

What Does the Research Say About Complera and Bone Loss?

The Complera label says to consider monitoring bone mineral density in patients with a pathologic bone fracture history or other risk factors for bone loss, and it lists this under decreases in bone mineral density.

References

1. https://www.gilead.com/tdf-litigation
2. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000882095/000088209526000031/gild-20260630.htm
3. https://www.gilead.com/-/media/files/pdfs/medicines/hiv/complera/complera_pi.pdf
4. https://www.iapac.org/fact-sheet/complera/