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 Xian Janssen, Tsinghua University and Chinese Society of Hepatology Discuss Breakthroughs in Fight Against Hepatitis at 2013 Public Health Day

Third Annual Event Focused on “Innovative Leadership and Partnership in Combating Chronic Viral Hepatitis”

 

(BEIJING, CHINA) – May 31, 2013 – Xian Janssen, Tsinghua University and the Chinese Society of Hepatology (CSH) held the third annual Public Health Day today. This year’s event, which took place at Tsinghua University under the theme “Innovative Leadership and Partnership in Combating Chronic Viral Hepatitis”, aimed to raise awareness of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), two major causes of chronic viral hepatitis.
 
The event marks the third year of ongoing collaboration between Xian Janssen and Tsinghua University in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases and the first year in collaboration with CSH. The three partners have committed to working together to seek new and innovative ways to combat diseases like viral hepatitis in China through the significantly expanded operations of the Tsinghua-Janssen Joint Research Center on Infectious Diseases. The latest breakthroughs on the prevention and treatment of chronic viral hepatitis were announced on the Public Health Day.
 
China has the largest hepatitis population in the world, with 93 million HBV carriers, or onethird of the world’s total carriers of the disease, and onefifth of people carrying HCV living in China. Viral hepatitis is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the country, and 80 percent of total reports are HBV. Treating the disease is a major economic burden and a top priority of the Chinese government, as direct economic losses from HBV alone amount to approximately RMB 900 billion per year. Many HBV/HCV sufferers also often experience discrimination at daily work or in their personal lives.
 
In the face of these challenges, the Tsinghua-Janssen Joint Research Center on Infectious Diseases focused its 2013 Public Health Day on helping to promote scientific knowledge and to discover innovative prevention and treatment solutions for HBV/HCV. The Public Health Day has proven to be an excellent platform to help the public better understand viral hepatitis so as not to discriminate HBV patients, and also for top medical experts to share their insights on various diseases through speeches and panel discussions with those in attendance and with the public.
 
Key participants at today’s event included XiaofengLiang, Vice Head of CDC; ShengyaoJiang, Vice President of Tsinghua University; LaiWei, President of the Chinese Society of Hepatology; Yigong Shi, Professor and Dean of School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University; Johan Van Hoof, Global Therapeutic Area Head for Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Janssen Pharmaceutical; and Thad Huston, President of Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd, as well as a number of top scholars and experts in the field of hepatitis.
 
Their keynote speeches and panel discussions touched on a range of important topics related to hepatitis, including basic research, clinical treatments, drug development, new policies and government guidelines. Through research conducted at the Center as well as increasing public awareness of HBV/HCV at Public Health Day, Xian Janssen, Tsinghua University, CSH and distinguished guests are striving to meet the chronic hepatitis challenges head on to create a better educated and healthier environment in China.
 
“At Tsinghua University we believe knowledge and awareness are key to overcoming challenges in fighting diseases. The better the public understands how to prevent diseases, including HBV/HCV, the better we can fight them,” said Yigong Shi, Dean of the Tsinghua School of Life Sciences and Senior Vice Dean of the School of Medicine. “This is why we have partnered with Xian Janssen on the Tsinghua-Janssen Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases and with CSH on this Public Health Day, which serves as a great platform for cooperation.Our partnership exemplifies how top enterprises, research institutions and universities in China can work together to achieve major impacts in promoting public health in China. We are looking forward to contributing our share to a better society.”
 
“Chronic hepatitis severely impacts the health and economy of China. Combating hepatitis is the core mission of our organization. We are honored to partner with Tsinghua-Janssen, and increase our joint efforts to further strengthen our ability to understand and fight HBV/HCV through the research preformed at the Center. We hope that by working together with such reputable institutions, we will be able to educate, help and heal more people than ever,” said LaiWei, Director of the Chinese Society of Hepatology.
 
Since its establishment in 1985, Xian Janssen has been committed to providing Chinese patients with high-quality, innovative products that fulfill unmet medical needs in a wide range of areas in China, including chronic viral hepatitis. This commitment to R&D has resulted in new and improved drug treatments for a range of diseases. Currently, its second-generation protease inhibitor Simeprevir (TMC435) has been filed with the USFDA and Japanese regulatory authorities to treat genotype 1 chronic infections of hepatitis C in adult patients with compensated liver disease.
 
“For years Xian Janssen has committed itself to seeking new ways to improve the health and well-being of people in China. We have introduced several groundbreaking medicines and treatments into the Chinese market throughout the years that have contributed greatly to fighting against diseases such as chronic viral hepatitis,” said Thad Huston, President of Xian Janssen. “By working together with innovative Chinese partners such as Tsinghua University and the Chinese Society of Hepatology, we hope to continue changing the lives of more patients in China.”
 
“Disease is a global issue that cannot be addressed alone. By partnering locally with some of the world’s best schools, enterprises and research institutions, including Tsinghua University and the Chinese Society of Hepatology, we are able to implement our strategy of external innovation, bridge global and local expertize and greatly increase R&D capabilities in all areas. Tsinghua-Janssen’s 2013 Public Health Day is a great example of this external innovation, bringing attention to preventive care for HBV/HCV to improve the health and well-being of people in China,” said Johan Van Hoof, Global Therapeutic Area Head for Infectious Diseases and Vaccines for Johnson and Johnson.

 

 
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