WHO warns against respiratory virus

As the cold season takes hold in Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a rise in acute respiratory infections, highlighting human metapneumovirus, or hMPV, alongside other common respiratory pathogens. In its early January 2025 Disease Outbreak News, WHO noted that seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and mycoplasma pneumoniae are driving increased infections across several Asian countries, as well as in parts of Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

hMPV is not a new virus. First identified in 2001, it typically circulates during the cold season and produces symptoms similar to the common cold. In some cases, however, it can lead to more severe illness such as bronchitis or pneumonia. WHO stated that infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable to complications.

To reduce risk, WHO advised people in cold-season regions to take standard precautions, particularly for those at higher risk. Individuals with mild symptoms should stay home and rest to avoid spreading infections, while those with severe or complicated symptoms should seek prompt medical care. Preventive measures such as wearing masks in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, frequent handwashing, and keeping vaccinations up to date in consultation with healthcare providers were also recommended.

Super flu: The strain that causes the health panic

A new flu variant, H3N2 subclade K, is a mutation of the common influenza A subtype. According to the Cleveland Clinic, flu symptoms usually appear suddenly and can include fever, chills, body aches, cough, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, and tiredness. In children, symptoms may also include diarrhea or vomiting.

The Philippines prompts calls for vaccination

The Philippines is experiencing a rise in cases of the so-called “super flu,” according to the Department of Health (DOH). As of December 2025, 77 cases of influenza A(H3N2) subclade K were confirmed nationwide, part of 326 influenza A infections successfully sequenced from January to November 2025. Of 92 total A(H3N2) cases, subclade K accounted for nearly 84%.

Related: New flu variant detected in the Philippines; no immediate threat

The National Capital Region (NCR) recorded the highest number of subclade K cases with 23, followed by the Calabarzon Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region, each with 16.

Authorities said the increase is not a cause for alarm, adding that most patients have recovered and no deaths were reported. They clarified that super flu is a variant of influenza A, not a new disease, and its symptoms such as cough, cold, fever, and body aches are similar to those of the common flu.

Health experts warned that subclade K can be more aggressive due to mutations that may lead to serious complications affecting the heart and brain. The WHO’s Risk Assessment, as of December 10, 2025, indicated no evidence of increased severity among subclade K cases. The WHO also emphasized that vaccination remains effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization.

Infectious disease specialist Dr Rontgene Solante urged the public to get updated flu vaccines to improve protection, particularly for the elderly and people with comorbidities, noting that vaccines should be available by February or March. He also encouraged people to wear masks in high-risk areas as an added precaution.

Indonesia up in arms against “Super Flu” spread

Across Indonesia, health authorities are on high alert on report of cases of the “super flu”. The H3N2 influenza A subclade K, first detected globally in late 2025, has prompted airports, cities, and provinces to tighten monitoring and precautions.

At Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, thermal scanners and thermo guns from the COVID-19 era have been reactivated, and medical staff are ready to assess passengers showing symptoms. Airport management has briefed personnel on the virus and coordinated closely with the Health Ministry to prevent potential outbreaks.

In Jakarta, authorities are monitoring travelers returning from the New Year holiday, particularly those arriving from abroad. Certain cities have implemented strict screening procedures, including temperature checks and early detection measures, while strengthening hospitals and community health centers to handle respiratory cases. Preventive measures are also being encouraged.

It has been reported that between August and December 2025, Indonesia confirmed 62 cases across eight provinces, with East Java, South Kalimantan, and West Java recording the highest numbers. Women and children made up most of the cases. The country also reported its first death linked to subclade K in a Bandung hospital, highlighting the need for ongoing vigilance and preventive measures as authorities continue monitoring the virus.

In Thailand’s Surin province, one hospital was directly hit by artillery attack and damaged, and another in the Kantharalak District.

According to the latest report dated July 31, the Ministry of Public Health has recorded an increase in civilian casualties and extensive damage to healthcare facilities amid the ongoing Thailand–Cambodia border conflict. Over 54,000 individuals have been screened for mental health conditions, with findings ranging from severe psychological distress to risk of self-harm. Many have required urgent intervention. Additionally, medical personnel continue to face heightened risks on the ground.

Reports quoted Dr. Varoth Chotpitayasunodh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, who provided the latest update on civilian casualties in the Thai–Cambodia border conflict as of July 31. The impact includes both serious and minor injuries, as well as fatalities. Many affected civilians have required medical attention.

Healthcare facilities have also suffered amid the conflict. Recent data indicate that around 20 hospitals on the Thai side have been affected. Nearly half have shut down completely, while the remainder have temporarily suspended services.

In addition, over a hundred community health centers have either ceased operations entirely or are functioning at limited capacity. Despite these setbacks, the Thai government, through the Ministry of Public Health has continued to mobilize medical teams to deliver care in high-risk zones. These include Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERT), Mini MERT units, Advanced Life Support (ALS) teams, Joint Investigation Teams (JIT), Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams (MCATT), Special Environmental Health Response Teams (SEhRT), and various standby support units prepared to respond as needed.

On the Cambodian side, the ongoing health crisis has placed additional strain on an already burdened healthcare system. World Vision International has also expressed concern over the impact of the conflict on children, particularly those displaced by the violence. “The recent clashes along the Cambodia–Thailand border has led to the displacement of thousands and the temporary closure of hundreds of schools across affected provinces,” the organization stated. In response, World Vision has launched an emergency operation and is coordinating with local authorities and youth volunteers to deliver life-saving support to affected children and communities in both countries. This effort includes setting up 56 temporary child-friendly spaces in Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, and Preah Vihear, providing psychological support and recreational materials to thousands of children, families, and individuals.

Following five days of intense fighting, an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire was brokered between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, during talks hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The clashes resulted in the displacement of over a quarter of a million people and numerous casualties.

This situation in both countries’ healthcare systems reflects the broader impact of border disputes and civil or political conflicts on public health infrastructure.

Border conflicts expose healthcare vulnerabilities

Healthcare systems in border regions face deep-rooted challenges that are often intensified by conflict and political instability, affecting critical components of a country’s health infrastructure.

Disruptions in infrastructure, supply chains – Armed conflict diverts resources, destroys infrastructure, and displaces medical personnel. Supply chains are disrupted, health facilities targeted, and humanitarian aid obstructed. Violence hampers the safe transport of medical supplies and forces vulnerable groups into areas with inadequate services.

Systemic scarcity in care services- Many public health systems in Asia, especially in rural areas, suffer from chronic underfunding and resource shortages.

Emphasized global health inequities – Border-related health crises widen global disparities, deepening the divide between those with and without access to affordable care. Poorly regulated ground crossings further threaten regional and international health security.

South and Southeast Asia conflicts

Across Asia, healthcare systems in border regions face enduring challenges, including language barriers, lack of identification among mobile populations, and difficulties with medical documentation and follow-up care. Political unrest and regional conflicts often divert resources away from essential services, limiting healthcare access. In Southeast Asia, the cross-border trade in health services is still emerging, and its impact on healthcare staffing remains uncertain. For conflict-affected communities in South Asia, improving access to care, addressing gender-based violence, and strengthening mental health support are urgent priorities.

Border and internal conflicts across these sub-regions have further disrupted health services. The long-standing India – Pakistan dispute, which began in 1947 when both countries gained independence and laid claim to Kashmir, continues to expose communities to security threats, economic marginalization, and limited access to healthcare. These challenges are compounded by geographic isolation and political instability. The 2017 Doklam standoff between India and China, though brief, demonstrated how territorial tensions can destabilize nearby communities and disrupt public services. Doklam is a region claimed by both China and Bhutan, located near the tri-junction with India. In Myanmar, intensifying internal conflict has severely affected access to essential medical care. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 3.5 million people were internally displaced in Myanmar by the end of 2024.

Chinese researchers advance IBD diagnosis

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) have made a significant advancement in diagnosing gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Their discovery could transform the way these conditions are diagnosed and treated, moving away from invasive procedures like endoscopies to a more accessible, non-invasive test.

IBD, which includes conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is a growing health concern, especially in Asia. The symptoms, including recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea, are often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common functional disorder. This overlap complicates the diagnosis and can lead to delayed treatment, which in severe cases may require drastic measures like surgery. Currently, there is no reliable, non-invasive test to distinguish between IBS and IBD, with colonoscopies and imaging scans being the standard, but often inconvenient, methods of diagnosis.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, forms of IBD, cause symptoms like diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss, ranging from mild to potentially life-threatening severity, according to Mayo Clinic.

CU Medicine’s researchers analyzed nearly 6,000 stool samples from patients across 11 countries, representing diverse ethnicities. Their goal was to identify unique microbial signatures that could differentiate IBD from other GI disorders. Based on the findings, ten bacterial species linked to ulcerative colitis (UC) and nine associated with Crohn’s disease. These bacteria play a crucial role in the development of IBD and provide a basis for diagnostic innovation.

By combining their findings with advanced machine learning techniques, the team developed a diagnostic model that can identify IBD with remarkable accuracy. The model showed significant sensitivity and specificity of nearly 90%, meaning it could reliably detect the disease. But the real breakthrough came when these microbial markers were integrated into a multiplex digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) test, making the process faster and more effective.

This novel approach offers a huge advantage over traditional methods. Not only is it non-invasive, but it also provides quicker results, which could lead to faster diagnoses and more timely treatment. The new diagnostic tool is set to be ready for clinical use by 2027, and its potential could go beyond diagnosis—it may also help in monitoring disease progression, predicting drug responses, and tailoring treatments for individual patients.

The team’s innovation has already earned recognition, including a Silver Medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions in 2024. With the rising incidence of IBD in Asia, particularly in China where the number of patients is expected to exceed 1.5 million by 2025, this diagnostic breakthrough comes at a critical time. It could ease the burden on healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes by making IBD diagnosis and management more efficient.

Healing through nutrition

The Massachusetts-based UMass Chan medical school’s Center for Applied Nutrition offers a solution to support recovery and healing through nutrition. The Anti-Inflammatory Diet for IBD (IBD-AID) , which is designed to restore gut bacteria balance, reduce inflammation, and support remission in IBD patients through specific dietary principles. It includes four daily components:

Probiotics: Foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, raw honey, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, aged cheeses, etc., to introduce beneficial bacteria.

Prebiotics: Soluble fiber from foods like steel-cut oats, banana, garlic, onion, artuchokes, asparagus, leeks, all vegetables, ground flax seeds, etc., to nourish good bacteria and improve gut health.

Avoidance: Eliminate inflammatory foods such as refined sugars, wheat, lactose, corn, trans fats, emulsifiers, and processed or fast foods to help the gut recover.

Good Nutrition: Focus on fruits, vegetables (prepared to suit tolerance), lean proteins, and healthy fats from sources like nuts, avocado, and olive oil, while limiting saturated fats to <5g/serving (meats, dairy, etc.)

Together, these elements aim to repair the gut, decrease inflammation, and support immune system balance. Moderate consumption of coffee, tea, and wine is allowed, but beer and refined sugars should be avoided.

How the rising food costs impact food choices of consumers is highlighted in a 2017 study by researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, which determined, based on pooled analysis that for every 10% decrease in price of fruits and vegetables, their consumption increased by 14%, and the same percentage decrease in other healthy foods increases boosted their consumption by 16%.

Related: Southeast Asia tackles healthy diet, balancing food intake

At the moment, Asia is already being devoured by the cost of healthy diets. It has been a significant challenge to combat the threat of widespread malnutrition.

Affordability of healthy diets

According to FAO data, the cost and affordability of a healthy diet (CoAHD) per person in Asia is estimated to be $3.72 in 2020, up from $3.57 in 2019.

The percentage of the population unable to afford a healthy diet in 2019 is 42.1%, rising to 43.5% in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet is expected to exceed 1.89 billion in 2020, up from over 1.81 billion in 2019.
In Southeast Asia, affordability of food has significantly increased in recent years. According to the FAO data, the CoAHD in the sub-region increased to $4.019 per person in 2020 from $3.85 per person in 2019. In addition, more people now struggle to afford a healthy diet, with 347.2 million struggling in 2020 as opposed to 331.6 million in 2019.

On the other hand, the percentage of the population unable to afford a healthy diet has reached half, at 52% in 2019, rising to 53.9% in 2020.

However, contrary to what we may have believed, Singapore does not have the highest cost of a healthy diet. The country of 5.45 million population has relatively lower cost per person of healthy diet at $2.936 in 2019 and $3.064 in 2020, compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors including Brunei, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, and Malaysia.

Indonesia has the highest CoAHD per person in the sub-region in 2020, at nearly $4.47/person, followed by Thailand at $4.32/person in the same year.

Defining a healthy diet; how to achieve it

But what exactly is a healthy diet? A healthy diet can consist of healthy eating habits in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that a healthy diet can help prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, as well as malnutrition in all of its forms.

Adults are advised to consume a balanced diet that includes fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Less salt intake, or less than 5 g of salt per day, is suggested to prevent a number of diseases, as well as balancing the intake of fats and sugars with energy expenditure. Healthy eating habits need to start earlier in life as well.

This also means that during the first six months of life and for the next two years and beyond, infants should only be breastfed. Breast milk should be supplemented with a variety of adequate, secure, and nutrient-rich foods starting at 6 months of age. Complementary foods shouldn’t have salt or sugar added. This is necessary for the child to benefit from optimal nutrition that fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. Additionally, it lowers the chance of gaining weight or being obese later in life and developing NCDs.

Achieving a healthy diet may be out of reach for some populations, and it may become a problem for more economies if food prices do not stabilize or match the purchasing power of consumers.

The authors of the study from Tuft University claim that subsidies and taxes are a “highly effective tool for normalizing food prices to their true societal costs”. This will help to contain the rise in healthcare costs, which are putting pressure on the budgets of the private sector, businesses, and government in addition to preventing illnesses and malnutrition.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 720 million and 811 million people faced hunger in 2020, an increase of 161 million from 2019. Malnutrition is linked to hunger, but according to John Hopkins Medical, there is a distinction between the two, even though they frequently coexist. Malnutrition refers to a lack of nutrients required for proper health and development.

Malnutrition is one of the most serious issues confronting our societies today. Getting the best nutrition is impossible in many countries due to rising commodity prices, declining purchasing power, and insufficient food supply.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, there are significant gaps in the food system that prevent everyone from having access to nutritious foods at an affordable price. The cost of a healthy diet is significantly higher than the cost of a diet that provides enough calories but lacks nutritional value. Given that women and children have greater nutritional needs, these costs are even higher for them.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) also noted that food costs have risen steadily in the region ever since the pandemic began in early 2020. Rising unemployment and shrinking product markets contributed to the pandemic’s food crisis.

Both urban and rural households were less able to purchase food due to significant income and remittance losses. Additionally, local market supply disruptions decreased food availability and raised local food prices. The cost of food increased due to supply chain disruptions and currency depreciation, which posed additional challenges for import-dependent economies.

The WHO stated that the affordability of healthy diets, which is essential to ensuring food security and nutrition for all, has become nearly impossible for poor people in Asia and the Pacific as a result of rising prices for fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.

New app to track malnutrition

Meanwhile, technology can aid in the reduction of malnutrition. A key feature of a new app developed by the global nonprofit Action Against Hunger is the ability to detect acute malnutrition in children. It said that “the tool has the potential to change the way the world screens millions of children for malnutrition.”

The need for creative solutions to end malnutrition is now more urgent than ever because, according to the organization, more than 2,000 children die every day from causes related to hunger. “Malnutrition diagnostics are typically slow, if they are even available, in places where hunger is deadly, “ it said, adding that the current detection methods require health workers to transport heavy height boards and cumbersome bucket scales from village to village, and these are time-consuming and inaccurate.

Action Against Hunger’s new Gold Anthem Awardee mobile app can screen children for severe acute malnutrition (SAM), with just a “quick photo”, providing health professionals with useful tools to identify malnutrition more quickly and accurately. The app compares scans of a potentially malnourished child with scans of a healthy child using body scanning technology and morphological methods.

The app is faster, easier, and more accurate than today’s standard of care because it is designed for poor, rural areas with no internet connection, low literacy levels, and the most basic Android phones in widespread use, Action Against Hunger said.

The organization has conducted large-scale pilots in Senegal, where the app is used by more than 90 clinics, and plans to expand the program to Guatemala, Mali, and Mauritania. Globally, an estimated 75% of acutely malnourished children who require treatment do not have access to it, despite the fact that extremely cost-effective treatments have a cure rate of more than 90%.

Getting to the bottom of the problem

While technology can aid in the detection and monitoring of malnutrition, the problem must still be addressed at its root.

The ADB recommended focusing policy efforts on creating resilient food systems for the long term in order to address the rising food insecurity in Asia and the Pacific. This can be done by assisting farmers in avoiding weather shocks, preparing for them, and adapting to them. Farmers can prepare for extreme weather events by investing in early warning systems like crop modeling and spatial information technology.

In addition, the WHO report calls for a transformation of the food systems in the region in order to improve the affordability of and access to healthy, sustainable diets for families. Everyone and everywhere needs to have access to nourishing and healthy diets. The report suggests that integrated approaches and policies are required to make sure that happens.

SOURCES:
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/food
https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/
https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/innovative-app-for-detecting-malnutrition-wins-2023-gold-anthem-award/
https://blogs.adb.org/blog/millions-are-going-hungry-in-post-pandemic-asia-here-s-how-to-respond
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/20-01-2021-un-agencies-warn-economic-impact-of-covid-19-and-worsening-inequalities-will-fuel-malnutrition-for-billions-in-asia-and-the-pacific

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Coffee drinkers in Southeast Asian countries are driving this growth in the region, with Indonesia taking the lead with a nearly 11% increase in annual coffee sales, followed by Malaysia at 7% and Singapore at 5%.

Needless to say, the region’s demand not only supports the coffee supply chain, but also benefits from the health benefits of coffee consumption.

Coffee’s health benefits have been recognized and not a few studies claim that the drink may help in preventing a wide range of health conditions and disorders from diabetes to Alzheimer’s and stroke.

Related: Study finds filtered coffee helps prevent type-2 diabetes, distinguishable biomarkers in blood

But what if we add a nutritious ingredient to our coffee? An ingredient such as milk, also known as the “perfect food”?

According to a new study from the University of Copenhagen, adding milk to coffee may have an anti-inflammatory effect. The study, which was funded by the Danish Independent Research Fund and carried out in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden in Germany, was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The researchers discovered that combining proteins and antioxidants doubles the anti-inflammatory properties of immune cells. The effects on human health will be studied, the researchers said.

Polyphenols are antioxidants found in humans, plants, fruits, and vegetables. The food industry also uses this class of antioxidants to slow oxidation and deterioration of food quality, avoiding off flavors and rancidity. Polyphenols are also known to be beneficial to humans because they help reduce oxidative stress in the body, which causes inflammation.

In a new study, researchers from the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen collaborated with researchers from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences to investigate how polyphenols behave when combined with amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

The researchers used artificial inflammation to test the anti-inflammatory effect of combining polyphenols and proteins. Some cells were given different doses of polyphenols that had reacted with an amino acid, while others were only given polyphenols in the same doses. A control group received no treatment.

The researchers found that adding polyphenols and amino acids to immune cells doubled their ability to reduce inflammation compared to cells that only received polyphenols.

Polyphenols bind to proteins in meat, milk, and beer, based on previous research by the researchers. Another recent study looked at whether the molecules bind to each other in a coffee drink with milk. Coffee beans are high in polyphenols, while milk is high in protein.

As a result, the researcher believes that the reaction and potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effect occur when other foods containing proteins and fruits or vegetables are combined.

The researchers are said to be working on how to add the appropriate amounts of polyphenols to foods in order to achieve the best quality. In this context, the new research findings are promising, they said.

Source: Science Daily – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130090347.htm

According to the report, called “Health Care Social Media Marketing Market”, geographically, North America has the largest market for the health care social media marketing market.

Europe comes in second due to large pool of tech savvy consumers in the region. According to a study, almost 72 % of patients searched for online information before or after a doctor visit. Moreover, the pharmaceutical giants turning to social media for interaction are majorly based in this region.

However, Asia Pacific is quickly becoming a very attractive market for health care social media marketing as more and more people turn to the internet and social media for quick answers.

Social media is a virtual platform in which people interact, create and share content, information, ideas and views using online tools and related networks. Social media is building connections between end users and service providers by providing relatively simple, easy to access and unbiased platforms for sharing feedback.

Social media marketing is a process of achieving network attention with the help of social media platforms. Social media interactions are integral part of marketing and customer service relations in any industry, hence social media in healthcare industry is no exception.

Healthcare organizations and healthcare personnel have started considering social media as an important tool for connecting with the end-users and keeping the consumers updated about their products.

The increasing number of consumers using social media for accessing and seeking information related to healthcare issues is acting as the driving force towards the progress of the health care social media marketing market.

As a result, healthcare professionals and service providers are seeking global social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and others as a networking platform. This enables them to gain the trust of the end-users with easily accessible healthcare information, assisting the market growth. Increased expenditure on web advertisement by healthcare companies is also a factor propelling the market growth.

However, there is an inherent risk correlated to social media marketing in healthcare which makes its usage a debatable subject. All the information available on internet is not authentic, making it vulnerable for creating mistrust among the users.

Similarly, privacy is also susceptible factor while associating and engaging with patients via social media. These factors act as a challenging aspect for the health care social media marketing market.

Today’s generation is extremely tech-oriented and health conscious. As a result, people are seeking for information and interacting with the healthcare industry by the means of web forums like never before.

On the other hand, social media is providing a cost-effective and reasonable platform for the healthcare industry to reach out to the prospective consumers, making it the best suited forum for transparent communication.

The participation of regulatory authorities in the issues related to drafting the guidelines for the healthcare organization regarding the use of interactive media for the biologics and drugs has proven to be a contributory factor for the use of social media marketing for healthcare.

As per US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pharmaceutical companies can promote their products inthird-party sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The firm shall be responsible for the product promotional activities on the sites.

While getting feedbacks from the customers is important, incorporating these feedbacks into the organization’s business and business strategies in a meaningful manner is equally important.

Some organizations have taken the lead in this area, but many others are still struggling to understand this new medium of opportunity.

Novartis has enhanced the sales of their over-the-counter (OTC) products by promoting it on social media forums. Similarly, Johnson &Johnson (J&J) has utilized social media for idea generation and in crises management.

According to the report, using social media platforms is no more an option today but a necessity.

Some of the major players engaging in the health care social media marketing are Bayer AG, Johnson & Johnson, Inc., Novartis AG, Novo Nordisk AS, and Pfizer, Inc.