However, in April 2014, U.S. House Democrats Henry Waxman, Frank Pallone, Jr., and Diana DeGette wrote Martin questioning the $84,000 price for Sovaldi. They specifically asked Martin to "explain how the drug was priced, what discounts are being made available to low-income patients and government health programs, and the potential impact to public health by insurers blocking or delaying access to the medicine because of its cost." Sofosbuvir is cited as an example of how specialty drugs present both benefits and challenges. Martin was president of the International Society for Antiviral Research (1998-2000); chairman of the California Healthcare Institute (2005-2006, 2009); and chairman of BayBio (1999-2001). Martin has worked with the Federal government of the United States in a number of capacities. Martin served on the council of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2000-2003). He was part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Health Resources and Services Administration's Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention and Treatment (2004-2007). He was on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (2006-2009). In May 2018, Martin joined the board of directors at The Scripps Research Institute. In 1990, Martin received the American Chemical Society's Isbell Award, "for his applications of carbohydrate chemistry to the design of medicinally active nucleosides and nucleotides." In 2003, Martin received the International Society for Antiviral Research's Gertrude B. Elion Award for Scientific Excellence in 2003. He was also an Award Winner and National Finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2008 Martin became a member of the National Academy of Engineering, "for the invention, development, and commercialization of anti-viral medicines, especially treatments for HIV/AIDS." The 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service was presented to John Martin by the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, for his work on the development of anti-HIV medications and on AIDS prevention through Pre-exposure prophylaxis. In 2015 Martin was named by investment firm Morningstar as best CEO. During his tenure as CEO since 1996, Gilead shares rose 100-fold, and the stock posted a 157% gain just from 2013 to 2015. In 2017, Martin was chosen to receive the Biotechnology Heritage Award from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO, formerly the Biotechnology Industry Organization) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation.