The pharmaceutical mega-corporation Gilead says it has broken up a network of drug distributors trafficking in fake HIV meds.

The company said that, acting with court orders, it had seized 85,247 bottles of faked medications from 17 locations in nine states. Washington state was not included.

The counterfeit meds included versions of its new Biktarvy and Descovy treatments. Reuters reports that the retail value of the fake meds amounts to more than $250 million.

The action results from a lawsuit Gilead filed under seal last August, naming 22 defendants. Gilead's suit charges them with violating federal trademark and New York state consumer protection laws and distributing "dangerous" counterfeits to "unsuspecting patients, placing the patients' health and lives at risk."

Gilead says it believes that it has prevented further distribution of the fake drugs, and that there should be no further risk to patients.

Lori Mayall, Gilead's top anti-counterfeiting executive, said the presiding judge in its lawsuit ordered the defendant distributors to stop selling Gilead-branded medications, and the company was unaware of any defendant violating that order.

"We therefore believe that we have successfully stopped any additional counterfeits from these defendants reaching patients," Mayall said in a statement.