U.S.-based drug maker Johnson & Johnson has announced that it will not enforce patents for Sirturo — its brand name for bedaquiline, which is used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis — in 134 low- and middle-income countries.
This move follows global pressure on the company to not pursue secondary patents on its breakthrough tuberculosis drug, including the Indian Patent Office’s rejection of J&J’s secondary patent application for the fumarate salt of bedaquiline.
Also read: Is there a TB drugs shortage in India? | Explained
