Pakistan, China review progress on hepatitis D treatment collaboration

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal reviewed progress on efforts to make advanced treatment for hepatitis D virus (HDV) available in Pakistan during a meeting with the chief executive officer of leading Chinese healthcare company Huahai Health, reported 24NewsHD TV on Sunday.

The meeting was also attended by prominent haematologist Professor Dr Saeed S Hamid, clinical research expert Syed Munawar Ali, Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Chief Executive Officer Dr Obeid.

The participants assessed ongoing work on providing treatment for hepatitis D patients and discussed steps to accelerate access to the therapy in Pakistan.

During the meeting, a business-to-business (B2B) agreement relating to the treatment of hepatitis D was successfully signed. Mustafa Kamal described the agreement as a significant milestone towards making modern treatment available locally.

He said the collaboration between Pakistan and China marked an important step in ensuring access to advanced treatment for patients suffering from hepatitis D, while also strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector.

The minister noted that an estimated one million people in Pakistan could be affected by hepatitis D, underscoring the urgent need to improve access to effective treatment. He said the initiative would help patients receive modern and more effective therapies while enhancing the capacity of Pakistan's pharmaceutical industry through international collaboration.

Mustafa Kamal added that DRAP was ensuring all legal and regulatory requirements were completed on a priority basis so that the medicine could become available to Pakistani patients as soon as possible.

He also said that Phase II clinical studies of the hepatitis D treatment had already produced positive results regarding the drug's safety and effectiveness.

Reporter: Babar Shehzad Turk