I think GILD's initial rejection of the BMY offer [to take GS-7977 + daclatasvir into phase-3] could be a negotiation tactic to wrestle a more lucrative deal. Until we hear officially from GILD management that the collaboration is dead, I would not put much stock in this rumor.
It’s more than just a rumor insofar as an official spokesperson for BMY stated that GILD declined BMY’s offer. Nevertheless, I agree with your contention that immense pressure from the medical community might induce GILD to collaborate after all, and that GILD’s current posturing could be a ploy to extract better economic terms.
A corollary of BMY’s proposal to advance GS-7977 + daclatasvir into phase-3 that some investors may have overlooked: the FDA has presumably endorsed the idea of running such a trial.