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.

An experimental daily pill developed by Swiss healthcare company F Hoffmann-La Roche AG has sparked hope for a new treatment option for people with early-stage breast cancer. The drug, giredestrant, reduced the risk of invasive disease recurrence or death by at least 30% compared to standard hormone therapy, according to findings from its Phase 3 trial.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to share its drug approval verdict by November 30, 2026.

Giredestrant is an experimental once-daily pill designed to block and degrade oestrogen receptors, which can contribute to breast cancer risk.

It is being studied in oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, a subtype that accounts for the majority of breast cancer diagnoses.

Breast Cancer Drug Giredestrant’s Trial

Also read: Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Advancing A Risk-Informed and Equitable Approach to Breast Cancer Screening in India

The Phase 3 lidERA trial, involving 4,100 people with early-stage ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, compared giredestrant to standard endocrine therapy.

The results showed that giredestrant reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 30% relative to standard endocrine therapy.

At three years, 92.4% of participants receiving giredestrant were alive and free of invasive disease, compared to 89.6% of those receiving standard treatment.

Even though the trial met its primary goal, overall survival data was still immature at the time of analysis. Hence, the findings depict an improvement in invasive disease-free survival, not proof that the drug helps people live longer.

Giredestrant was generally well tolerated in the trial. Treatment was discontinued because of adverse events in 5.3% of participants receiving the drug, compared to 8.2% receiving standard endocrine therapy.

Latest Developments In October 2026

Also read: Breast Cancer Awareness Day: Experts Explain Most Overlooked Breast Changes That Can Delay Diagnosis In Men

On October 19, Roche announced that it would present new giredestrant data at the 2026 ESMO Annual Meeting, scheduled for October 23 to 27 in Madrid.

The presentation includes outcomes reported by patients from the lidERA trial. According to Roche, these findings suggest that the promising results in reducing disease recurrence seen with giredestrant was achieved without compromising tolerability or quality of life of the patients.

The company will also present biomarker findings from the evERA trial, which was based on giredestrant combined with everolimus in advanced breast cancer. These are separate settings from using giredestrant alone after surgery for early-stage disease.

Earlier in October, detailed results from the Phase 3 evERA trial were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

In people with advanced ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, giredestrant combined with everolimus reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 44%.

With 62%, the combination showed even results among participants whose tumours had an ESR1 mutation, compared to standard endocrine therapy combined with everolimus. The FDA has set December 18, 2026, to announce its decision for this combination in certain patients with advanced breast cancer.

The FDA accepted Roche's application for giredestrant as an adjuvant treatment for adults with stage I to III ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer under priority review. The decision will be made on November 30, 2026.

If approved, giredestrant’s use will depend on the overall clinical guidance and patient's individual circumstances. According to Bloomberg, the drug is expected to generate up to $15 billion in revenue.

French health authorities have reported the first known human case of Shamonda virus. The infection has only been identified primarily in livestock until now. The patient, who was severely immunocompromised according to reports, died in October while receiving treatment in Lyon. French health authorities have assured that there is no risk of widespread transmission to the general population.

The case, reported on October 22, 2026, has sparked concerns as well as further investigation into the virus's ability to infect humans.

Authorities believe the patient may have gotten infected in eastern France, where Shamonda virus had been detected in animals during spring and summer.

Investigations are in progress to determine how the infection occurred and whether the virus may have caused neurological complications.

Should People Be Worried?

French health authorities say that there is no reason for the general public to panic. This is a single reported human case, and currently there is no evidence that Shamonda virus is spreading from person to person.

French authorities have stated, “No health risk to the general population has been identified to date.”

The case is nevertheless attention-worthy as Shamonda virus had not previously been documented in humans. Scientists, therefore, need more research to understand whether this was a rare case of infection or whether the virus has crossed the animal-human species barrier permanently.

All About Shamonda Virus

Shamonda is an insect-borne virus that belongs to a group called orthobunyaviruses, within the Simbu serogroup. It was first identified in cattle in Nigeria in 1965 and has since been detected sporadically in animals in parts of Africa and Asia.

In 2026, viruses similar to Shamonda viruses were identified in livestock in several European countries, including France, Germany and Switzerland.

The virus is primarily seen in cattle, although infections have also been reported in sheep, goats, horses and alpacas.

In livestock, symptoms may include fever, diarrhoea, lethargy and reduced milk production. Infection during pregnancy may also cause abortions or fetal abnormalities.

The route of infection in the French patient has not been disclosed yet. Investigators suspect exposure may have occurred in an area where the virus was circulating among livestock.

There is currently no evidence that Shamonda virus spreads aggressively between people. The possibility of human infection and the virus's ability to cause disease in humans require further investigation.

The World Organisation for Animal Health has also highlighted the need for continued monitoring because the public health significance of the Shamonda-like viruses in Europe remain incompletely understood.

Prevention Of Zoonotic Diseases

The Shamonda virus case comes amid growing concerns over the rising threat of zoonotic diseases like Ebola, Marburg and Nipah. More than 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic, while nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals.

According to the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), spillover events—where pathogens jump from animals to humans—have tripled since the 1980s, fueled by deforestation, wildlife trade, industrial farming and climate change.

In an interview with HealthandMe, Dr Nivedita Gupta, Scientist and Head of the Communicable Diseases Division at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), outlined the key measures to reduce the risk of future pandemics.

Dr Gupta stressed that preventing the next pandemic requires a proactive approach built on integrated surveillance, coordinated data sharing, community participation and stronger indigenous research and development.

She said, “I think the first part is that surveillance should be strengthened in all domains, whether it is human surveillance, animal surveillance, wildlife surveillance, as well as environmental surveillance. So, we really need to do integrated surveillance and strengthen all aspects."

The second major priority, she said, is ensuring that surveillance data across sectors is connected.

"If I'm seeing unusual bird or animal deaths, if I'm sitting in human sector, I should also know about it and I should be able to act very timely to understand whether there are any implications on humans and vice versa."

Dr Gupta said community participation is another critical pillar of pandemic preparedness.

"I think we really need massive community sensitization. And community should be our eyes and ears because there are many people who live in remote areas, who live in forest fringes, and they might be seeing many unusual things happening like sudden deaths among animals, carcasses."

Jeana Keough, former star of The Real Housewives of Orange County, is struggling with her recovery from tongue cancer treatment. Her daughter Kara Bosworth recently revealed that her mother is still relying on a feeding tube for most of her nutrition, which leaves her “frustrated”.

Kara said that the 71-year-old had made little progress in eating by mouth despite completing radiation treatment. She also said that her mother is going through fatigue, coughing fits and difficulties with swallowing after her cancer treatment.

“Mom’s struggling. She’s still not getting nutrition orally except maybe a few bites and then she gets frustrated with the effort and the lack of taste,” Kara told Page Six. She also said the feeding tube remains her mother's “primary source of nutrition”.

Jeana Keough's Recovery After Tongue Cancer Treatment

Keough was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue after a painful sore persisted for nearly a year.

She initially believed a tooth was rubbing against her tongue and visited her dentist several times to take care of it. She underwent a biopsy which eventually confirmed cancer.

After surgery to remove the cancer, doctors recommended a second operation to remove lymph nodes. During that procedure, they discovered that the cancer had spread, turning a one-time surgery into a more extensive invasive treatment.

Keough subsequently underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy. These treatments can place considerable strain on the body. Additionally, treatment involving tongue and throat can make eating, drinking and speaking challenging.

Radiation can inflame the lining of the mouth and throat, causing pain and swallowing difficulties. Keough also experienced radiation burns on the outside of her neck. Her daughter previously described the pain as severe, even when applying medicated cream to the damaged skin.

In August, Kara said the family had been told that the weeks after radiation ended could be the most physically difficult because the effects of chemotherapy and radiation tend to compound.

Also read: New AI Tool Uses Facial Photos To Predict Cancer Patients’ Survival Risk

Feeding Difficulties And Fatigue

Keough's difficulty with eating has left her completely dependent on tube feeding to meet her nutritional needs. Her daughter said she becomes frustrated after a few bites because eating requires a lot of effort and food no longer tastes the same.

Kara also shared that her mother is sleeping a lot and experiencing coughing fits that cause her to vomit.

“I think she just wishes she didn’t do any treatment. [It’s been] very hard. She still is sleeping a lot and having a lot of coughing fits that cause her to vomit,” Kara told Page Six.

The family has also reported that Keough is undergoing speech and swallowing therapy. “She’s doing twice-weekly speech and swallow therapy, but we still have a long way to go,” Kara said.

Also read: Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Advancing A Risk-Informed and Equitable Approach to Breast Cancer Screening in India

What Does Recovery From Tongue Cancer Involve?

In advanced head-and-neck cancer, removing the tumour is only one part of successful treatment. When surgery involves structures that are essential for speaking and swallowing, doctors also have to think about what the patient’s life will look like after cancer treatment.

Reconstructive microsurgery can help restore the tissue lost during surgery, while structured rehabilitation helps patients work towards regaining important functions. The aim is mainly to treat the cancer while also helping the patient return to the life and work.

Recovery can be time-consuming after tongue cancer treatment. Depending on the extent of surgery and the treatment, patients may experience pain, changes in taste, difficulty swallowing, speech problems and fatigue.

Inflammation due to radiation can continue even after the final session, while chemotherapy can add to the overall burden on the body.

Speech and swallowing therapy may help patients regain normal function, while feeding tubes can provide nutrition and hydration when eating and drinking are still challenging.