During the China International Import Expo, Gilead Sciences deepened its cooperation with the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control and launched a project called "Unite for an AIDS-Free, Healthy China" to boost the quality of HIV diagnoses, treatment and public education.
Building on years of joint efforts, the initiative expands the education effort to more than 50 designated HIV hospitals nationwide and raises public and patient awareness of long-term HIV management. Experts from CASAPC, along with others in the health sector, held a roundtable to discuss outreach and the value of the drug, lenacapavir — the twice-yearly pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, medicine — in reshaping China's HIV prevention landscape.
Using PrEP to reduce new HIV infections in high-risk populations is listed as one of the important intervention strategies in China's AIDS treatment guidelines (2024), and provides a crucial tool for HIV prevention and control.
After its debut at the expo, lenacapavir gained "globally synchronized" access under a pilot effort in the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, to support HIV prevention. The innovative therapy is expected to receive official approval in China soon, which will broaden access further.
Gilead, a major pharmaceutical company in the United States, also signed an agreement with the National Center for Infectious Diseases (Beijing) as part of the center's standardized rapid-access initiative for precision HIV care. The network now runs more than 250 rapid-start clinics and plans to train 7,500 front-line medical staff to strengthen grassroots capacity.
"CIIE serves as a vital gateway for global innovation to enter China and is an open platform for stakeholders across the industry to deepen collaboration," said Jin Fangqian, vice-president and China general manager of Gilead Sciences. "We look forward to partnering with all stakeholders to foster a more robust and resilient HIV prevention and treatment ecosystem, so that more innovative breakthroughs can reach Chinese patients earlier."
At the expo, Gilead showcased lenacapavir, the world's first twice-yearly long-acting HIV PrEP agent, alongside Biktarvy, a single-tablet daily treatment.
