The story so far: Bedaquiline has now become the cornerstone to cure drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Last week, a major barrier for drug resistant TB care ended, when Johnson & Johnson’s patent on bedaquiline expired on July 18. This long-awaited expiry will allow generic manufacturers to supply the drug, but J&J appears intent on maintaining its monopoly over the bedaquiline market.
What has J&J done?
J&J has filed secondary patents over bedaquiline till 2027, which were granted in 66 low-and middle-income countries. It includes 34 countries with a high burden of TB, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and TB/HIV. Over the past week, J&J has faced public outrage for seeking to extend its patent on bedaquiline.
