French pharma begins welfare campaign in Beijing as seasonal illnesses spread

As seasonal respiratory diseases spread across China, French pharmaceutical company Sanofi initiated a public welfare activity in Beijing on Tuesday, aiming to raise public awareness about asthma, bringing more possible solutions to better combat the disease.

On the 26th World Asthma Day, which falls on May 7, the French drug maker joined efforts with the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, sports technology platform Keep, as well as industry experts, to hold a themed event aiming at supporting Chinese asthma patients in controlling the disease and breathing freely.

Meanwhile, a patient care project, named "Purple Balloon Action", was launched. Through a series of themed activities on disease education, it is expected to give asthma patients knowledge about the disease, enabling them to control asthma effectively and get back on track.

Huang Kewu, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, said: "China's asthma patients reached 45.7 million, while about 55 percent to 70 percent of them are in poor control of their conditions. If not managed properly over a prolonged period, asthma can lead to more frequent acute attacks and a sharp decline in lung function."

Wang Wen, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, said: "When basic treatment options fail to alleviate symptoms of type 2 inflammation in asthma (T2I asthma), more targeted solutions become necessary. In recent years, more targeted treatment options, such as targeted biologics, have started to come to light."

Guo Yang, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, said: "More actions are needed to help asthma patients to better manage their disease, control asthma symptoms, and improve their quality of life."

In terms of disease management, Su Nan, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital said that the combination of drug therapy and sports therapy is recommended, to treat the disease more efficiently.

During the event, Sanofi joined hands with Keep to design online training courses tailored for asthma patients to encourage them to incorporate workouts into their daily routine.

"In the future, we will continue to promote precision and standardized diagnosis and treatment of chronic respiratory diseases, enhance public awareness, and bring more innovative products to the Chinese market," said Xie Lijuan, general manager of Sanofi China.