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.

As part of the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit in Delhi, world leaders are calling for a stronger focus on obesity and non-communicable diseases. The dialogue mainly focused on healthy lifestyles, combatting sedentary lifestyles, and early intervention to prevent obesity.

The New Delhi Declaration endorsed the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle, which included a 2026–2029 roadmap for promoting healthier living across member countries. The initiative is set to focus on technical cooperation, ensuring best practices and coordinated awareness efforts around obesity and other NCDs.

For India, as the challenge extends beyond telling people to “eat better and exercise more”, the declaration stressed that there is dire need of government and society-level active approach to tackle the burden of chronic lifestyle disorders.

With long working hours, prolonged sitting, irregular meals and increasingly sedentary routines, preventing NCDs may need major changes in how people work and live.

BRICS Focuses On Obesity And NCDs

NCDs include disorders like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. They are driven by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors.

The World Health Organization identifies four major modifiable behavioural risk factors: unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption.

These can contribute to metabolic problems including obesity, high blood pressure, raised blood glucose and abnormal cholesterol.

WHO estimates that 31% of adults globally were insufficiently physically active in 2022. Physical inactivity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and several cancers.

Also read: As India Faces Flu Vaccine Shortage Amid H1N1 Surge, ICMR Recommends Alternative: Expert Explains If You Should Take It

How Could The BRICS Mission Translate Into Action?

The new push for lifestyle changes signals a shift from treating NCDs after they develop towards preventive and promotive healthcare involving governments, workplaces, healthcare systems and communities.

Dr Paras Agarwal, Director - Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolic Clinic, CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, spoke to HealthandMe about the global push for obesity prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyle.

Dr Agarwal says, "BRICS recognising obesity as a major global public health challenge is a significant step, because obesity is not a cosmetic issue but a metabolic one, closely tied to insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Globally, this signals that prevention deserves the same urgency as treatment."

The diabetes specialist said that it is the need of the hour for Indians as it is currently carrying the burden of invisible metabolic risk.

He added, "For India, it carries an added layer: many people with a normal BMI still carry hidden abdominal fat and real metabolic risk."

The expert did not fail to point out the difference between policy building and implementing meaningful systems in place to achieve desired outcomes.

He said, "The real measure of this recognition's success will be whether it translates into accessible screening, sustainable lifestyle support and earlier intervention, rather than remaining a policy statement alone."

Also read: Can India Prevent Rabies Deaths By Vaccinating Dogs? Lancet Study Says Kerala May Reach Near-Zero Deaths In 3 Years

Sedentary Lifestyle Is The Silent Killer

India's growing desk workforce is facing a major health risk. Prolonged sitting could directly contribute to obesity and a number of metabolic and cardiovascular health challenges.

Sedentary behaviour teamed with uncontrolled calorie intake can contribute to weight gain and reduced insulin sensitivity, making it harder for the body to regulate blood glucose. Over time, people at higher risk can progress from normal glucose levels to prediabetes and eventually type 2 diabetes.

These chronic lifestyle disorders can be curbed only when timely preventive action is taken.

It is important to break up long periods of sitting with brief movements like walking during breaks, taking stairs or stretching between meetings, can make physical activity more achievable.

Regular aerobic exercise and strength training remain extremely important, depending on an individual's health and physical ability.

Prevention also includes right food choices, sleep, stress management and timely screening. WHO also recommends adults aged 18–64 get 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with strength training.

Besides obesity and NCDs, the BRICS declaration also focused on mental well-being, including a BRICS Training Hub Network and Centres of Excellence, with NIMHANS as the coordinating centre.

The United States has declared that its largest cyclosporiasis outbreak is finally over. According to reports, contaminated iceberg lettuce was associated with nearly 13,000 infections across 21 states.

The outbreak caused 12,883 reported illnesses, 570 hospitalisations and two deaths in Michigan, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While health officials say there is no longer a risk from the recalled lettuce, the investigation into how the parasite contaminated the food in the first place is still ongoing.

Why Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Source Is Still Not Known?

The outbreak was traced through investigations linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico by Taylor Farms de Mexico.

The FDA said the investigation included people who reported eating processed iceberg lettuce served or purchased at different locations, including Taco Bell. The agency eventually converged on Taylor Farms as the common supplier and the company recalled the affected lettuce in July.

The FDA has now completed onsite inspections and sample collection at lettuce farms and the processing facility in Mexico. But, lab analysis of those samples is yet to be carried out.

This means investigators know which food was linked to the outbreak, but have not yet determined exactly where or how Cyclospora entered the lettuce supply chain.

Also read: Cyclospora to Alzheimer’s: Trump Administration Scales Back Key Health Research

What Is Cyclospora And How Does It Make You Sick?

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis that infects the intestines. People usually develop symptoms about a week after consuming contaminated food or water, although the incubation period can range from two days to two weeks or longer.

The most common symptom is prolonged watery diarrhoea, which may be accompanied by abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss and increased gas.

Unlike many short-lived stomach infections, cyclosporiasis can persist or return if it is not treated. Prolonged diarrhoea can also lead to dehydration, which can become particularly dangerous in vulnerable people.

Also read: Broccoli Sprouts Linked To Salmonella Outbreak In US: 22 Cases Reported, FDA Says

Massive Scale Of The Outbreak

At its peak, more than 1,000 infections were reported in a single day before the recall. By August, infections had fallen to fewer than two per day on average, after which the CDC determined that the outbreak was over.

The FDA now says it is confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce linked with this specific outbreak has been removed from the market. The agency is continuing its investigation with US and Mexican authorities to determine the root cause and improve prevention measures.

Cyclospora Risk Still Persists

The specific lettuce outbreak is considered over, but Cyclospora infections have not disappeared from the US. CDC recorded 19,595 laboratory-confirmed, domestically acquired cyclosporiasis cases between May 1 and August 31, 2026.

The Taylor Farms outbreak accounted for more than half of those cases, while other Cyclospora clusters are still under investigation.

Consumers must understand that fresh produce can occasionally become contaminated with parasites before reaching the plate. FDA recommends following food-safety practices and carefully cleaning surfaces or containers that came into contact with recalled produce.

In an alarming report, Anthropic, an artificial intelligence safety and research company and developer of the Claude family of large language models, said it blocked multiple accounts that used its AI models in ways that could support the development of biological weapons.

In a report published Thursday, the San Francisco-based AI company described biological misuse as one of the “most serious risks” to increasingly capable AI models. The report covers attempts to misuse Claude between December 2025 and August 2026, including activity involving biology, weapons, cyberattacks, influence operations and surveillance.

It details five cases involving potentially concerning biological research, including chikungunya gain-of-function research, avian influenza, orthopoxviruses, venoms and toxins.

“We're publishing our most detailed threat intelligence report to date. It covers how people tried to misuse Claude—for cyberattacks, influence operations, surveillance, biology, and building weapons—and how we found and stopped them,” Anthropic said on X.

What Did Anthropic Find?

Anthropic identified about 35 potentially concerning “research efforts” over 30 days. It could not determine whether users “intended harm” or were conducting legitimate research.

Five cases involved users circumventing safeguards or regional restrictions:

• Chikungunya: AI was used in a gain-of-function project after safeguards were bypassed.
• Avian influenza: AI-assisted planning was used for experiments aimed at adapting the virus to mammals.
• Orthopoxvirus: AI was used to generate a grant application on viral immune evasion.
• Venoms: AI was used to optimise venom-related molecules.
• Toxins: AI was used to computationally redesign toxins.

Anthropic Says It Stopped The Operations

“We disrupted every operation in the report, and used the lessons from them to strengthen our safeguards,” Anthropic said.

The company said it also shared information with authorities and other AI companies where appropriate.

“These cases are not typical: we’re highlighting some of the most sophisticated misuse we’ve seen,” it said.

Can AI Enable Biological Misuse?

The report comes as former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon resigned this week, stating on X that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

The 27-year-old AI researcher said it could hack critical infrastructure — or build “extinction-level bioweapons.”

“There’s a lot of ways that the AI could actuate itself in the world,” he said. “If you extrapolate into the future, the level of capabilities of these AIs … they could cause extreme havoc,” Coxon later told CNN.

In July, nearly 1,400 AI company employees signed an open letter urging the US government to regulate the technology and slow its development to ensure its safety.

OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki also warned this week that AI capabilities are advancing faster than researchers’ ability to reliably monitor and control them.

Dr Ashish K. Jha, physician, scientist and biosecurity expert, said the Anthropic cases show how AI could lower some barriers to biological research.

“We are sleepwalking into a potentially huge disaster. And it amazes me how little attention it is getting,” Jha said on X.

“Anthropic just published five case studies today of people using Claude in ways that could have helped develop biological weapons. They banned the accounts, traced the networks, and told other AI labs and governments what they found.”

Jha said the barriers that once made biological weapons difficult to develop included “deep expertise, advanced equipment, years of specialized training.” “Those barriers are dissolving. Rapidly,” he said.

Jha also pointed to a case in which Claude blocked a request, after which the operator built a system to route it to a more permissive model.

“In a world of lots of open access models that are getting quite good, this will keep happening,” he said.