Drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) agreed to remove some of its control over generic multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) medication after being criticized for “trying to immorally extend their patent.”
According to Science, J&J agreed to allow the United Nations–affiliated Stop TB Partnership to procure and create generic doses to offer the life-saving medication to low-income people in various nations.
On Thursday, STOP TB announced the partnership stating that their Global Drug Facility “plans to launch a global, competitive tender for bedaquiline by end July 2023.”
“This is an important agreement that will support our common goal of ending TB,” they added.
The decision came just after public backlash caused thousands of Twitter users to call out J&J for working to renew patents in order to profit off of life-saving treatments.
Author John Green led the argument with a video that noted in its caption, “Evergreening the patent will cost so many lives over the next four years, which Johnson & Johnson knows. They must drop their efforts to enforce the secondary patents.”
The video was posted on July 11 and went viral. J&J responded on July 12 stating, “It is false to suggest—as some recently have—that our patents are being used to prevent access to SIRTURO® (bedaquiline), our medicine for MDR-TB.”
The statement went on to describe the Stop-TB partnership and noted, “In addition, we have shipped more than 660,000 courses of SIRTURO® to 159 countries since launch.”
It is false to suggest—as some recently have—that our patents are being used to prevent access to SIRTURO® (bedaquiline), our medicine for MDR-TB.
— Johnson & Johnson (@JNJNews) July 12, 2023
In fact, we have already entered into a collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility (“GDF”)—the largest… pic.twitter.com/3pYy8AYhYW
Green responded, “I want to be very clear that no one is SUGGESTING that people will die because Johnson & Johnson is trying to immorally extend their patent on bedaquline an additional 4 years after its 20-year term.”
“Instead, people are STATING THE FACT that people will die because of Johnson & Johnson trying to immorally extend their patent on bedaquiline an additional 4 years after its 20-year term,” he added.
I want to be very clear that no one is SUGGESTING that people will die because Johnson & Johnson is trying to immorally extend their patent on bedaquline an additional 4 years after its 20-year term.
— John Green (@johngreen) July 12, 2023
Instead, people are STATING THE FACT that people will die because of Johnson &… https://t.co/lDDKE4EhC5
The J&J statement was fact-checked by Twitter and corrected with a note that said, “J&J continue to limit a lower pricing of $1,200 for 20 months to the Global Drug Facility. Only South Africa has been granted access to this pricing outside the GDF. Researchers suggest that Bedaquiline could still be sold at profit for as little as 25 cents per day.”
