Japan could become one of the first countries in the world to end the HIV epidemic, says the president of Gilead Sciences Japan, Kennet Brysting. The idea for now could seem a little too ambitious, but it is not entirely unrealistic, given that the availability of medicines that can prevent transmission of HIV. Drugs are not the cure, but control over the spread of virus to the point where the disease is no longer a major public health threat.

What Is The Role Of Preventative HIV Medicines?

Gilead's have two key drugs, Truvada and lenacapavir. These two are playing a crucial role in prevention. Truvada is taken as a daily pill, while lenacapavir requires two injections per year. It can make the virus undetectable in infected individuals and prevent transmission to those who are not infected yet. In trials, lenacapavir showed 100% efficacy in preventing HIV infections. This is why it is describe as "almost a vaccine".

In 2024, Japan also approved Truvada for HIV prevention, but the country has yet to approve lenacapavir for the same. Until now, people in Japan had been importing generic versions of Truvada or purchasing it from clinics that source it from overseas.

HIV In Japan

Up until now, Japan reported around 25,000 HIV infections, whereas 669 new cases were reported in 2023. For seven consecutive years, the number of new infections remained under 1,000. The downward trend thus shows that the virus has been controlled, however, getting to zero new infections remains the ultimate goal.

Brysting too acknowledged that simply having effective drug is not enough. What is important is to have a proper implementation, access and healthcare support to make sure that these treatments are widely available and effective.

What Are The Challenges In Implementation?

The biggest challenges is testing rates. There is a need to increase testing rates. At this very moment, around 86% people infective with Japan have been tested, but the goal is to increase it up to 95%, with an ideal goal of 100%. Without widespread testing, many infected people may not even know that they are infected and it could transmit the virus.

Another measure issue is the cost of preventative medication. While Japan's health insurance covers treatments for diseases, it does not cover preventative drugs. Those who purchase Truvada for prevention, pay around $470 per month. Some clinics in Tokyo offer generic alternatives too, which is cheaper, but they are not ideal.

Better Healthcare Support

Brysting expressed concern that individuals importing medications might not be consulting doctors regularly, which is essential for monitoring HIV status and overall health. Truvada users need to be tested for HIV initially and every three months, along with screenings for other infections and kidney function checks. Without proper medical supervision, there is a risk of misuse and inadequate protection.

Gilead is in discussions with Japanese authorities to improve access and insurance coverage for Truvada, and progress is being made. Japan has shown efficiency in approving critical medicines, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when Gilead’s remdesivir was approved in just three days.

What Is The Way Ahead?

Gilead at this moment is not only focused on HIV and hepatitis C, but also expanding into oncology with innovative treatments like CAR-T cell therapy, which strengthens a patient's immune system to fight cancer.

However, Japan’s strict approval processes can slow down drug availability. Phase 3 clinical trials often need to be conducted within the country, and Japan tends to approve medicines much later than other regions. For instance, Truvada was approved for prevention in Japan 12 years after the U.S. and nearly 20 years after its approval for treatment. inancial factors also play a role. The Japanese government adjusts drug prices annually, often reducing them, which can make long-term investment challenging for pharmaceutical companies.

The recent decision by the Supreme Court of India allowing withdrawal of life support for a 32-year-old man in an irreversible permanent vegetative state is an important development in patient-centered healthcare.

The order follows the principles established in the landmark Common Cause v. Union of India, which recognized passive euthanasia and affirmed that individuals have the right to die with dignity. From the perspective of a critical care specialist, this decision supports ethical medical practice while protecting the dignity and rights of patients.

In modern intensive care units (ICUs), doctors use advanced technologies such as ventilators, feeding tubes, dialysis machines, and strong medications to sustain life during serious illness. These treatments are extremely valuable when there is a reasonable chance of recovery.

However, in some medical conditions—particularly severe brain injuries—patients may enter a permanent vegetative state. In this condition, the patient’s body may continue functioning with medical support, but the brain has lost the ability to produce consciousness or awareness. The patient cannot communicate, recognize loved ones, or interact with the environment, and medical science currently has no effective treatment to reverse this condition.

From a medical standpoint, continuing life support in such cases may only prolong biological survival without any possibility of recovery or meaningful quality of life. The Supreme Court’s decision acknowledges this difficult reality and allows withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment when doctors confirm that recovery is medically impossible. This approach respects the patient’s dignity and avoids unnecessary prolongation of suffering.

Harish Rana Case: Key benefits

One of the key benefits of this judgment is the recognition of dignity at the end of life. The Court has interpreted the right to life under the Constitution of India to include the right to die with dignity. In practical terms, this means that patients should not be forced to remain on life-support machines when such treatment no longer benefits them.

Medicine should focus not only on prolonging life but also on ensuring that patients are treated with respect, comfort, and compassion during their final stages of life.

The decision also supports patient autonomy, which is a core principle of ethical medical care. Individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and medical treatment. The recognition of living wills or advance directives allows patients to express their wishes in advance regarding life-prolonging treatments. This ensures that medical decisions align with the patient’s values and preferences, even if the patient is no longer able to communicate.

Also read: Harish Rana Case Highlights Why Planning For A Living Will Is Important

Another important benefit is the support it provides to families. Families often experience deep emotional stress when a loved one remains in a permanent vegetative state for a long period. They may struggle with uncertainty about whether continuing life support is truly helping the patient.

The Supreme Court’s framework provides a clear and compassionate process for decision-making involving medical boards and proper documentation. This helps families make informed choices in consultation with doctors while ensuring that the decision is ethically and legally sound.

Harish Rana Case: Offers Clarity For Healthcare Workers

The ruling also offers legal clarity for doctors and hospitals. In the past, physicians sometimes feared legal consequences if life support was withdrawn, even in medically futile situations.

The guidelines established under the Common Cause judgment create a structured and transparent process for making such decisions. This allows doctors to practice responsible and ethical medicine without unnecessary legal concerns.

Also read: Passive Euthanasia: Harish Rana’s Case May Reshape End-of-life Protocols, Say Experts

Passive Euthanasia: A Compassionate Step

In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s order is a compassionate step forward in Indian healthcare. From a critical care perspective, it respects patient dignity, supports family decision-making, provides legal clarity for doctors, and encourages thoughtful end-of-life care.

Most importantly, it reminds us that the true goal of medicine is not merely to extend life at all costs, but to ensure that every patient is treated with dignity, humanity, and respect throughout all stages of life.

Also read: Harish Rana Case Brings Spotlight On How Passive Euthanasia Has Evolved Over The Years

Amid a global increase in multidrug resistance, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines that flags the lack of innovative antibiotics for vulnerable populations, as well as press the need for the rapid development of drugs to target three deadly bacterial infections.

The WHO's 2025 report on antibacterials in pipeline has highlighted that 90 new antibacterial agents are in preclinical or clinical development. Yet few are innovative antibiotic candidates with potential to target bacterial priority pathogens.

The WHO-developed Target Product Profiles (TPPs) call for accelerating the development of antibiotics to tackle the burden of drug-resistant bacteria in at-risk populations worldwide that lead to:

• Severe multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections such as bloodstream infections and hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. These are caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

• Severe antibiotic-resistant gram-positive infections in immune-suppressed and critically ill patients. It is caused by Enterococcus faecium
• Community-acquired and health care-associated bacterial meningitis -- a devastating and deadly disease that not only accelerates fatality rate but also causes long-term disabilities, including hearing loss, epilepsy or cognitive impairment.

“The scientific community has developed and approved new antibiotics in recent years. This is good, but unfortunately not sufficient to catch up with evolving drug-resistant bacteria, especially against those of greatest concern,” said Dr Yvan Hutin, Director of Antimicrobial Resistance at WHO.

"We need a reliable pipeline with new antibacterial agents that are innovative, affordable, and accessible to all those who need them.”

The TPPs have been developed with extensive global consultation and also define the minimum and preferred characteristics of future antibacterials against these diseases, which specifically increase the risk of immunosuppressed people and critically ill patients. The vulnerable populations are also at risk of more deaths, prolonged hospitalizations and increased demand for intensive care that in turn strains health care systems.

What The TPPs Seek

The TPPs share a blueprint which:

• prioritizes developing antibiotics for infections with high morbidity and mortality
• sets specific standards for quality, efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics
• includes diverse and vulnerable populations, including immunosuppressed patients, critically ill patients, neonates, and children
• promotes partnerships between public and private sector

Rising Global Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when germs develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.

It is one of the 10 top global health threats, undermining the effectiveness of essential treatments and placing millions at risk of untreatable infections.

As per WHO data, AMR is an urgent global public health threat, killing at least 1.27 million people worldwide and associated with nearly 5 million deaths in 2019.

In the US alone, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year. More than 35,000 people die as a result, according to CDC's 2019 Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Threats Report.

The WHO in a 2025 report noted that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common infections in people worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments.

Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance rose in over 40 percent of the monitored antibiotics with an average annual increase of 5-15 percent.

About 13 people, including a 3-year-old child, have died in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh in recent days, allegedly after consuming adulterated milk.

Dozens more are hospitalized and receiving treatment at hospitals in Rajamahendravaram, according to PTI news agency.

The cases first came to light on February 22, when several elderly residents were admitted to hospitals with symptoms such as anuria (absence of urine production), vomiting, abdominal pain, and kidney failure, requiring dialysis.

"The death toll in the suspected milk adulteration case in East Godavari district has reached 13, while seven persons are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Rajamahendravaram," health officials said.

Action Taken

Primary investigations indicated milk adulteration as the major reason behind the cases. High blood urea and serum creatinine levels in medical examinations of the victims also suggested possible toxic exposure.

The contaminated milk was reportedly supplied to nearly 106 families by Varalakshmi Milk Dairy in Narasapuram village of Korukonda mandal. Following the cases, the supply was immediately halted, the report said.

To curb further fatalities and hospitalization, officials have set up emergency medical camps in affected localities, with doctors and ambulances deployed round the clock.

The suspected milk vendor, Addala Ganeswararao (33), a resident of Narasapuram village, has also been taken into custody, and the associated dairy unit has been sealed.

The state Food Safety Department also plans to distribute pamphlets and booklets in educational institutions to raise awareness about identifying adulterated milk.

Recent Cases Of Contaminated Food In India

Earlier this month, the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSDA) issued 37 notices for non-compliance to sellers of substandard oil. The department also seized oil worth Rs. 6.43 crore.

Additionally, the FSSAI seized fake paneer near Noida, 1,400 kg of fake khoya in Jhansi, and 400 kg of expired ghee.

Health and Me had previously reported on FSSAI raids in Kanpur, where adulterated oil, rotten dates, and sweets were found. Bacteria were found in Amul milk packages, along with Mother Dairy and Country Delight.

Also read: FSSAI Reveals Key Tips To Keep Your Kitchen Healthy – How To Spot High Quality Vegetables?

FSSAI In Action

In February, the FSSAI launches a nationwide adulteration drive to curb adulteration in sweets, milk products, edible oils, and other festive foods.

The food regulator also led intensive inspections and on-the-spot testing through Food Safety on Wheels across States/UT.

Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh today informed the Lok Sabha about action taken by FSSAI against the violators during 2025-26.

"A total of 1,65,747 samples were analyzed by the FSSAI between 2025-26. Of these, 28,450 were found non-conforming, with 6492 unsafe and 19,073 in the sub-standard category," Singh told the Parliament.

During the period, a total of 2,493 samples were analyzed in Andhra Pradesh. Of these, 216 were found non-conforming, with 101 in the 'unsafe' and 114 'sub-standard' category.