Johnson & Johnson pushes for empowering IBD patients in China

Johnson & Johnson is set to intensify patient education efforts in China to better address the unmet needs of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients.

IBD is a chronic condition involving long-standing inflammation of tissues in digestive tract.

In a recent move, Johnson & Johnson has supported a talented emerging performance artist for a charity art exhibition "Dear Myself" at Today Art Museum in Beijing, which was open to the public for free from May 16 to June 1. The exhibition engaged audiences through an immersive experience featuring a diverse range of installation art and performance art, vividly conveying the physical and emotional challenges faced by patients with IBD.

"Johnson & Johnson is committed to advancing pharmaceutical innovations and providing the best solutions to help patients alleviate their physical suffering," said Cherry Huang, president of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine of China.

"Apart from that, we are fully committed to addressing patients' broader needs and continually exploring other ways to support patients beyond pills. As we understand how patients perceive themselves, come to terms with their conditions, face the challenges of their disease, and how others perceive and interact with them — all of these factors significantly impact their lives and well-being," Huang added.

The immunology pipeline is one of the competitive areas for Johnson & Johnson, featuring best-in-class and first-in-class products in the area. For 18 years, Johnson & Johnson Immunology has leveraged its innovative strengths to establish a robust product portfolio and pipeline within the industry in China. Their product line spans multiple therapeutic areas, from psoriasis to inflammatory bowel disease.

In the future, the company will explore collaboration potential with various partners to improve the public's awareness and understanding of the immunity disease. "We will strengthen disease knowledge promotion among the public and share more information on disease management with patients," she said, "so that they will become more capable in improving daily care and seeking for better outcomes."

At the opening ceremony of the charity art exhibition, Yang Hong, a senior doctor of the Gastroenterology department of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said that for patients like those suffering from IBD, they need not only medicines to treat physical diseases but also ways to restore normal life. The most important thing for many patients is to accept themselves and take a positive attitude to their feelings, she said.