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.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, along with responsibilities in the PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday called for careful and evidence-led use of anti-obesity and weight-reduction medicines. He stressed that these drugs should be prescribed thoughtfully and not treated as routine or easy solutions.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Asia Oceania Conference on Obesity (AOCO), the minister said obesity is a complex, long-term condition that tends to recur and cannot be managed through isolated medical treatment alone. Instead, he said, it needs a wider response involving society at large.

At the same event, Dr Singh also launched the National Obesity Registry, describing it as an important step towards strengthening India’s obesity research framework. The initiative aims to support structured data collection, generate reliable evidence, and guide long-term policymaking in the area.

What Is National Obesity Registry?

During the conference, Dr Jitendra Singh formally unveiled the AIAARO Obesity Registry, calling it a major move to strengthen India’s research ecosystem. The registry will focus on systematic data collection, long-term follow-up, and evidence-based policymaking. It is expected to help improve clinical understanding of obesity and support the development of national strategies for its management.

India’s National Obesity Registry (NOR), launched in December 2025, is designed to create a strong and reliable data base on obesity trends across the country. This data will support public health policies, research efforts, and targeted interventions to address the growing obesity burden. The initiative is particularly significant for India, given its unique challenges related to metabolic obesity and its strong links with non-communicable diseases.

While launching the registry, Dr Singh also highlighted the strong focus placed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on tackling lifestyle-related illnesses. He noted that the Prime Minister has repeatedly spoken about obesity on national platforms, reflecting a clear shift towards preventive healthcare. This approach, he said, is supported by initiatives such as FIT India, Khelo India, and programmes that encourage small but lasting behavioural changes.

Obesity Cannot Be Treated with Shortcuts: Dr Jitendra Singh

The minister warned against the increasing commercialisation of obesity treatment and the spread of misinformation in this space. Referring to a PIB release, he said unscientific claims and so-called quick solutions often mislead people and divert attention from treatments backed by medical evidence.

India has seen a growing use of injectable obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Poviztra, both based on semaglutide, and Yurpeak, which uses tirzepatide. These once-weekly injections work by mimicking gut hormones that help regulate appetite and are marketed by companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. However, doctors caution that these drugs are not miracle solutions and must be combined with proper diet and physical activity. There are also concerns about their overuse at a time when obesity rates continue to rise.

India And Obesity

According to the World Health Organisation, obesity was linked to 3.7 million deaths globally in 2024. If strong action is not taken, the number of people living with obesity is expected to double by 2030. Recently, the WHO released its first-ever guideline on the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1, or GLP-1, therapies for managing obesity as a chronic and relapsing condition.

“Obesity is a major global health challenge that WHO is committed to addressing by supporting countries and people worldwide to control it effectively and equitably. Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

A Phase 1 randomised clinical trial of a new Nipah virus vaccine, led by researchers in the US, is offering fresh hope for preventing this deadly infection. The study found that all three doses and vaccination schedules of the candidate vaccine, called HeV-sG-V, were safe and successfully triggered an immune response. These findings were published in the medical journal The Lancet.

The World Health Organization has identified Nipah virus as a high-priority pathogen because it can be fatal in up to 82 percent of cases and currently has no approved treatment or preventive vaccine. The virus is mostly seen in parts of Southeast Asia.

What Is Nipah Virus?

Nipah virus, or NiV, is mainly spread by fruit bats but can also pass through pigs and other animals. It can lead to serious illness and death, and there is currently no medicine or vaccine available to treat or prevent it. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the virus is most commonly reported in Asia, especially in Bangladesh and India.

The virus can spread when:

• People or animals come into contact with bodily fluids such as blood, urine, stool, or saliva from an infected animal.
• People consume food that has been contaminated by an infected animal.
• People are in close contact with someone who has Nipah virus, often while caring for them.

The most effective way to reduce the risk of Nipah virus infection is to avoid contact with sick animals, particularly bats and pigs, in regions where the virus is known to circulate. This also means avoiding foods that could be contaminated, such as raw date palm sap or partially eaten fruit. Since Nipah can spread from person to person through bodily fluids, extra caution is advised when interacting with infected individuals.

Lancet Study Reveals New Nipah Vaccine Is Safe

A Phase 1 randomised clinical trial of a new Nipah virus vaccine has raised hopes that prevention may soon be possible. The trial showed that the vaccine was safe and produced an immune response, according to findings published on December 13 in The Lancet.

“The induction of antibodies within one month of vaccination, along with the sustained response seen with two doses, suggests this vaccine candidate could be useful both during outbreaks and for preventive purposes,” said researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, which led the study, as per NDTV,

Scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Virology in Uttar Pradesh described the results as a “milestone” in Nipah vaccine development in an accompanying editorial published in The Lancet. The Phase 1 trial involved 192 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 49.

The study found that a single dose did not produce a strong enough immune response. However, two doses were effective, with the strongest antibody responses seen in participants who received two 100-microgram doses of HeV-sG-V given 28 days apart.

The most common side effect reported was mild to moderate pain at the injection site. No serious side effects, hospital admissions, or deaths were reported during the trial. In their editorial, ICMR-NIV experts noted that the vaccine should next be tested in a larger Phase 2 trial to better understand its safety profile and determine how much protection it can actually provide.

Flu A, or the new version of the flu virus called H3N2 is spreading quickly, the worst part is that fewer people are getting the flu shots. Doctors and scientists say that this year's influenza season could be tougher than the usual. Dr. Amanda Kravitz, a pediatrician at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York in an interview to CBS Mornings, said, "This flu season is no joke. We are seeing more cases than we would expect for this time of year. We are seeing influenza A, and within influenza A we are seeing a subtype or variant called H3N2."

Scientist Jesse Bloom, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who studies viral evolution said that "it is pretty likely to be an H3N2-dominated flu season. I don't see any reason to think that this is an unprecedentedly bad one, but current indicators are that it may be substantially more severe than the typical winter flu season," as reported by CBS News.

Also Read: Adenovirus: Why This Mysterious Virus May Spread Faster Than Covid-19 And Flu

Not just the UK, but as per the journal of the British Medical Association, even the United Kingdom is suffering from an early and severe fly season, all thanks to the influenza A H3N2 called subclade K. Neil Maniar, director of the master of public health program at Northeastern University said, "The United Kingdom got hit pretty hard by this," as well as Europe and Australia. "I think that's a pretty good harbinger of what we are likely to see here. This is going to be a very difficult flu season."

Experts are pointing out that while the vaccine may not be a good match for the updated flu virus circulating, it is still the best line of defense. Flu vaccines have an efficacy rate of 40% to 60%, however, as per as early report by Eurosurveillance, the efficacy of the current vaccine rate was between 32% to 39% in adults, and 72% to 75% in children. However, it is still important to get the vaccine to avoid any severe illness from the flu virus, point out experts.

"If you haven’t done so, get (the vaccine)," Maniar pointed out. “Definitely get it as we go into the holidays, as we go into new year’s and the new school year." It takes about two weeks to build up a solid immune response, however, within several days of getting the vaccine, people start to develop some immunity.

Read: Flu Cases In US Reach 5 Million Mark, Reveals CDC Data

The Virus Is Changing

Dr Helen Chu, a flu expert at the University of Washington told the CBS News that based on the UK and Japan data, there will be more cases of hospitalization by this flu. The flu activity is "starting everywhere right now" and would be overlapping with RSV, before the winter COVID-19 wave.

Trevor Bedford, who also studies viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, said H3N2 tends to evolve faster than other influenza strains. "I expect more H3 incidence than the typical year and poorer vaccine effectiveness," he said.

"Total season effectiveness is probably going to actually be much, much lower," Chu warned, because immunity fades over time.

However, despite the mismatch in the vaccine, experts stress the fact that the flu vaccine is still helping preventing severe illness, especially in children. They also help in preventing severe diseases, hospitalization and deaths.