THERE WAS a triumphal note as media across the country reported the rejection of Johnson & Johnson's claim for a secondary patent on its tuberculosis drug bedaquiline. It was big news in March when the Indian Patent Office rejected the claim, because bedaquiline is the most efficacious in treating life-threatening cases of drug-resistant TB. It is a medicine that is taken orally, has fewer of the lethal side effects of the older line of drugs and is desperately sought by patients. As a country that is burdened with the largest number of TB cases, and carries an additional load of more than a quarter of the world's drug-resistant cases, India badly needs access to generics medicines that are FEAT inexpensive and available in sufficient quantities. Bedaquiline, a patented medicine made by J&Jowned Janssen Pharmaceuticals, is neither. It is costly and hard to come by.
The original patent on bedaquiline expires in July this year, but J&J had sought to extend its monopoly with a patent for a fumarate salt version of the TB medicine. The claim was opposed in 2019 by two TB patient-activists, Nandita Venkatesan of Mumbai and Phumeza Tisile of South Africa, who were supported by humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières. The Patent Office upheld their challenge since India's law, specifically Section 3d, does not permit the patenting of incremental improvements on an existing drug unless there is proven improvement in efficacy. The rejection of the secondary patent on bedaquiline means the original patent expiry term stands, allowing generic versions to come into the market in a few months' time. The generic drugs are expected to cut costs as they generally do. J&J charges 27,000 for the prescribed six-month treatment.
There is hope, too, of supplies increasing significantly in the near future as reports talk of some companies launching their generic versions as early as August.
Denne historien er fra April 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra April 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
