GILD assumed a lot of debt to acquire Sofosbuvir. ABBV developed in-house and has the advantage to undercut GILD on pricing to boost demand if needed.
The respective companies’ financial health doesn’t enter into this discussion at all, IMO. Both have more than ample financial resources to commercialize and price their HCV products as they see fit.
“The efficient-market hypothesis may be the foremost piece of B.S. ever promulgated in any area of human knowledge!”