Johnson & Johnson Loses Key Tuberculosis Drug Patent In India
NDTV
Johnson and Johnson had applied to extend its patent on the drug bedaquiline until 2027 after it was challenged by two tuberculosis survivors in Mumbai in 2019.
The Indian Patent Office on Thursday rejected US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson's application to extend its patent on a key tuberculosis treatment, allowing local companies to make cheaper generic versions.
India accounted for nearly 29 percent of 10.6 million tuberculosis cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2022 Global TB report, a major public health problem as it struggles with drug-resistant strains.
Johnson and Johnson had applied to extend its patent on the drug bedaquiline until 2027 after it was challenged by two tuberculosis survivors in Mumbai in 2019.
The survivors, Nandita Venkatesan and South African Phumeza Tisile, launched their challenge as part of a campaign to make the drug more affordable.
