Xian Janssen Supports National TB Prevention and Control Campaign to Advance China's End TB Action Plan

BEIJING, Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as“Xian Janssen”) The “China’s Strength in Curbing Tuberculosis” public awareness campaign for tuberculosis prevention and control, supported by donated funds, was officially launched nationwide. The campaign is hosted by the Chinese Antituberculosis Association, the Chinese Association for Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS, and the Tuberculosis Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, with technical support provided by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Health Education Center.

Through social media and diverse offline interactions, this campaign aims to raise societal awareness of tuberculosis (TB), explore new models for the prevention and control of TB—particularly multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)—and enhance healthcare professionals’ diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, thereby supporting the implementation of the “Action Plan to End Tuberculosis (2019–2022).”

Globally, tuberculosis remains a major public health challenge. Since 2007, tuberculosis has ranked as the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease, surpassing HIV/AIDS. According to World Health Organization estimates, there were approximately 10 million new cases of tuberculosis worldwide in 2018, and about 1.2 million people died from the disease (excluding deaths among patients with co-infection of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS).¹。

“China’s Power to Curb TB” Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Public Awareness Campaign, launched today in Beijing, also features a TB science popularization challenge. Hosted on the Douyin short-video sharing platform, the challenge leverages social media to provide the public with innovative disease awareness and interactive experiences. It invites healthcare professionals, key opinion leaders, and internet users across society to participate by filming and sharing short videos, thereby raising public attention to tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Leaders from the National Health Commission, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the China Association for STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, the Chinese Antituberculosis Association, the Tuberculosis Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Chinese Health Education Center, as well as Johnson & Johnson and Xian Janssen, attended this event.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis refers to resistance to at least two of the first-line drugs used in tuberculosis treatmentMost Effective Medication-- Tuberculosis with concurrent resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin has become an increasingly severe global public health challenge. At this event, participants engaged in lively and constructive discussions on how to detect, diagnose, and treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

According to World Health Organization estimates, in 2018 alone, there were approximately 500,000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis globally, 78% of which were multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. In 2018, the estimated number of new tuberculosis patients in China exceeded 860,000, including 66,000 patients with multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis.²。

“Tuberculosis remains one of the greatest health challenges facing China and the world,” stated Zhou Yuhui, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control under the National Health Commission. “As outlined in the Healthy China 2030 Planning Outline, China is committed to advancing public health to accelerate economic and social progress. To achieve this goal, partners across all sectors must collaborate and innovate, leveraging their respective innovative capabilities and strengths to transform the current landscape.”

Xian Janssen is committed to helping China achieve its goal of curbing tuberculosis. Bedaquiline fumarate tablets, introduced by Xian Janssen, were approved in China in 2016 as part of combination therapy for adults (>=18 years old) Treatment of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.

To ensure the rational use of bedaquiline fumarate tablets in China, Xian Janssen has donated 2,000 treatment courses to the China Primary Health Care Foundation through the New Drug Introduction and Protection Program since February 2018. To date, this program has covered more than 900 patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) across 98 hospitals in 31 provinces and regions.

“Ending tuberculosis is a formidable mission, but it is not out of reach,” said Dr. Paul Stoffels, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. “Collaboration has always been our guiding principle for medical innovation and service delivery in the fight against tuberculosis. We are delighted to see close cooperation among all stakeholders, including the ‘China Power to Stop TB’ awareness campaign for tuberculosis prevention and control. We highly commend this effort and look forward to continuing our partnerships to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in China and improve patients’ quality of life.”。” added Dr. Stoffels.

To further curb the epidemic of tuberculosis, particularly drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), the National Health Commission has vigorously promoted the standardization of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment. Under the guidance of the National Health Commission, Xian Janssen is collaborating with Beijing Chest Hospital (the Clinical Center for Tuberculosis of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention) to support the enhancement of DR-TB diagnosis and treatment capabilities across China. This partnership aims to implement national diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines, provide standardized training for healthcare professionals, improve prevention and control services, enhance the quality of care, and offer hope for cure to more patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson has partnered with the International Exchange Center of the National Health Commission, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and its global partner Cepheid to launch a three-year initiative titled “Exploring Projects to Improve Tuberculosis Case Detection in Impoverished Areas.” The project aims to explore an integrated model for applying molecular diagnostic techniques to detect tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB in impoverished regions of China, thereby improving the detection rates of etiologically confirmed and drug-resistant TB cases. The project will cover 22 counties across Jiangxi, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces, reaching a population of approximately 10 million.

Xian Janssen is also collaborating with multiple partners to explore ways to enhance the accessibility of tuberculosis treatment through internet technologies. As part of this initiative, Xian Janssen has provided financial support to the Beijing Innovation Alliance for Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Technology, funding three mobile smart healthcare vehicles equipped with internet capabilities. Starting this October, these vehicles will offer free clinics and telemedicine services in Shandong Province.

¹ WHO Global tuberculosis report 2019 Released on October 2019. Available at: https://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/en/
² WHO Global tuberculosis report 2019, Released on October 2019. Available at: https://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/en/