ForumIAS LATEST
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: A Textbook That Teaches You How to Think Ethically Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | Forum Residential Coaching (FRC) for UPSC preparation Click Here to know more →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 10th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
- Two tuberculosis survivors from Indian and South Africa have challenged Johnson and Johnson’s application to extend the patent over Bedaquiline, in order to keep it affordable for everyone.
- Bedaquiline is a drug used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). MDR-TB is a condition where the TB bacteria has developed resistance to most antibiotic drugs.
- The J&J patent application is being challenged on the grounds that the new salt form of Bedaquiline, does not merit patenting under India’s Patents Act, 1970. This is because it is a minor reformulation of the drug without any increase in therapeutic efficacy – often called as patent evergreening
- In India, the high price of Bedaquiline is a significant barrier for the government to make it available to all patients, thus exposing patients to less effective drugs with severe side effects.
