FOSTER CITY, Calif. & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASMB), today announced Gilead has exercised its combined option to exclusively license Assembly Bio's herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase inhibitor programs, including long-acting investigational candidates ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 for recurrent genital herpes. These represent the first programs Gilead will advance under the ongoing Assembly Bio R.