Two tuberculosis survivors from India and South Africa have challenged a patent to prevent pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) from extending its monopoly on bedaquiline, one of the two newest anti-TB drugs in 50 years. Mumbai’s Nandita Venkatesan and Cape Town’s Phumeza Tisile are both survivors of drug resistant TB, who lost their hearing because of the toxicity of anti-TB treatment. “With this patent challenge, we want to stop an extension of the patent monopoly that will continue to block people from accessing more affordable generic versions of bedaquiline,” Ms. Venkatesan said in a statement. The statement also said the J&J patent application being challenged is for the salt form of bedaquiline, which does not merit patenting under India’s patent law. If granted, J&J’s monopoly on bedaquiline would be extended from 2023 to 2027, delaying entry of generics by four additional years.

Source: The Hindu February 08, 2019 18:33 UTC