Gilead Board of Directors Approves Two-For-One Stock Split

-- Special Meeting of Stockholders Scheduled for February 2, 2001 --

Foster City, CA -- January 19, 2001

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a two-for-one split of the company’s common stock, subject only to receipt of stockholder approval of an increase in the number of authorized shares of Gilead common stock from 100,000,000 to 500,000,000. The company will hold a Special Meeting of Stockholders on February 2, 2001 to vote on this increase. If the stockholders approve the increase, all stockholders of record on the close of business on February 2, 2001 will receive one additional share for each share they then hold. The additional shares would be mailed or delivered on or about February 21, 2001 by the company’s transfer agent, ChaseMellon Shareholder Services L.L.C.

Gilead Sciences, Inc., headquartered in Foster City, CA, is an independent biopharmaceutical company that seeks to provide accelerated solutions for patients and the people who care for them. Gilead discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes proprietary therapeutics for challenging infectious diseases (viral, fungal and bacterial infections) and cancer. Gilead maintains research, development or manufacturing facilities in Foster City, CA; Boulder, CO; San Dimas, CA; Cambridge, UK, and Dublin, Ireland, and sales and marketing organizations in the United States, Europe and Australia. For more information about Gilead, please visit www.gilead.com.

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to the risk that Gilead may be unable to obtain the required affirmative vote of holders of more than fifty percent of its outstanding common stock at the special stockholder meeting and that therefore a stock split may not be implemented. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.

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