News at a glance: Infrared telescope debuts, GM rice stumbles, and maternal mortality drops
ASTRONOMY
Highest scope opens its infrared eyes
After 26 years of planning and construction, the world’s highest telescope began operating in Chile this week, offering a rare opportunity to make ground-based observations far into the infrared part of the spectrum. The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory’s (TAO’s) 6.5-meter telescope is not especially large but benefits from its lofty position 5560 meters high on Cerro Chajnantor, a peak in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. Moisture in the atmosphere blocks much of the infrared spectrum, and telescopes equipped to record it—such as NAS...
Source: ScienceNOW - May 2, 2024 Category: Science Source Type: news
Triplet Regimen Shortens Effective TB Treatment
(MedPage Today) -- DENVER -- Combining the investigational drug quabodepistat with established anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs delamanid and bedaquiline resulted in comparable efficacy over 4 months as a standard four-drug regimen over 6 months... (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)
Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease - March 11, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
All-Oral Regimen Succeeds for Rifampin-Resistant TB All-Oral Regimen Succeeds for Rifampin-Resistant TB
A combination oral-only therapy of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid was significantly more effective than standard care in preventing unfavorable outcomes in patients with treatment-resistant tuberculosis.MDedge News (Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines)
Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines - November 30, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Pulmonary Medicine News Source Type: news
South Africa: Life-Saving TB Drug Is Now Cheaper - But Not As Cheap As It Could Be
[GroundUp] Johnson & Johnson has agreed to drop the price of bedaquiline to the South African government by more than 40% (Source: AllAfrica News: Tuberculosis)
Source: AllAfrica News: Tuberculosis - October 30, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Health and Medicine South Africa Southern Africa Tuberculosis Source Type: news
Pharma cos can supply generic Bedaquiline to other countries
Multinational pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that it will not enforce secondary patents for its anti-TB drug Bedaquiline in low and middle income countries. This means that Indian pharmaceutical companies will be able to supply generic versions of the drug without the fear of litigation. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - October 1, 2023 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
After Decades of Pressure, US Drugmaker J & J Gives Up Patent on Life-Saving TB Drug
New Delhi: In what can be termed a huge development for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients across large parts of the world, bedaquiline maker Johnson and Johnson said on September 30 (Saturday) that it would drop its patent over the drug in 134 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Bedaquiline…#newdelhi #tb #dr #bedaquiline #sirturo #msf #pregrantopposition #ganeshacharya #mumbai #stoptbpartnership (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - October 1, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
J&J, Lupin cut prices for tuberculosis drug in lower-income countries
Johnson & Johnson and Lupin will supply their versions of the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline at a significantly cheaper price in low- and middle-income countries, according to the Stop TB Partnership. The new prices, $130 for J&J and $194 for Lupin for a six-month course of treatment, represent a 55% and 33% reduction, respectively. Bedaquiline is a key part of recommended treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB infections, and this price reduction will help broaden access to the life-saving drug. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - August 30, 2023 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
J & J, Lupin cut prices for tuberculosis drug in lower-income countries
Johnson& Johnson and Lupin will supply their versions of the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline at a significantly cheaper price in low- and middle-income countries, according to the Stop TB Partnership. The new prices, $130 for J&J and $194 for Lupin for a six-month course of treatment, represent a 55% and 33% reduction, respectively. Bedaquiline is a key part of recommended treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB infections, and this price reduction will help broaden access to the life-saving drug. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - August 30, 2023 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Pharma Giant ’ s TB Drug Decision Welcomed, But Not All Developing Countries Benefit
Dr Abhijit Bhattacharya, MS, Central Hospital Kalla, Eastern Coalfields Ltd., assesses an x-ray of a TB patient. Credit: ILOBy Ed HoltBRATISLAVA, Jul 21 2023 (IPS) In a surprise move, pharma giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has agreed not to enforce some of its patents on a lifesaving TB drug, making generic versions available in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Although on the WHO’s list of essential medicines and a cornerstone of much TB treatment, bedaquiline had not been available in many countries in part because of its high cost.
A deal agreed between J&J and the Stop TB Partnership will allow ...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - July 21, 2023 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Ed Holt Tags: Africa Asia-Pacific Editors' Choice Europe Featured Global Health Humanitarian Emergencies Sustainable Development Goals TerraViva United Nations IPS UN Bureau IPS UN Bureau Report Source Type: news
News at a glance: Ben Franklin ’s anticounterfeiting, science’s English language barrier, and disclosing stigmatized identities to students
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Drugmaker expands access to TB drug
A man with tuberculosis undergoes an electrocardiogram at an Indian clinic that treats drug-resistant TB.
UNIT PARANJPE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) last week agreed to help make a therapy critical to fighting drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) more widely available and affordable. J&J said it would allow competitors to market generic versions of the lifesaving drug, bedaquiline, in 44 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the company...
Source: ScienceNOW - July 20, 2023 Category: Science Source Type: news
MSF asks Johnson & Johnson to step away from secondary patents for key TB drug
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has once again urged Johnson& Johnson (J&J) to not enforce any 'secondary' patents for its tuberculosis drug bedaquiline in any country with a high burden of TB, and withdraw all pending secondary patent applications for it. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - July 18, 2023 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
How an Innovative Deal Will Give Millions Access to Cheaper Tuberculosis Drugs
The patent on the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline expires today (July 18). But while its manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, intends to use secondary patents to extend its exclusive right to sell the drug, an innovative deal will lower its price and expand access to millions around the globe.
The drug improves the outcomes for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, reducing the risk of death by approximately 10%, according to a study in BMC Infectious Diseases, a U.K. medical journal. Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, infecting approximately 10 million people per year and killing 1.5 ...
Source: TIME: Health - July 18, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Anna Gordon Tags: Uncategorized Disease News Source Type: news
TB drug deal offers short term solution, excludes high burden nations, says health advocacy group
“The deal remains just a stop-gap because bedaquiline will only be available to a limited number of countries that will be included in this agreement, procuring through the Global Drug Facility,” Christophe Perrin, TB advocacy pharmacist at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Access Campaign, said in a statement. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - July 16, 2023 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
After Pushback, J & J Allows Generics of Its TB Drug
(MedPage Today) -- Following a public pressure campaign, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will allow a Swiss non-profit to provide generic bedaquiline (Sirturo) to low- and middle-income countries to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB)... (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)
Source: MedPage Today Public Health - July 14, 2023 Category: American Health Source Type: news
Africa: TB Medicine Agreement - 'J&J Needs to Do More'
[MSF] "The announcement by the Stop TB Partnership/Global Drug Facility about a deal with pharmaceutical corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J), for access to affordable generic versions of the lifesaving tuberculosis (TB) drug bedaquiline, offers a short-term solution for low- and middle-income countries but the deal remains just a stop-gap because bedaquiline will only be available to a limited number of countries that will be included in this agreement, procuring through the Global Drug Facili (Source: AllAfrica News: Tuberculosis)
Source: AllAfrica News: Tuberculosis - July 14, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Africa External Relations Health and Medicine International Organizations and Africa Tuberculosis Source Type: news
