Bedaquiline

GS Paper III Science and Technology

Context: Recently, the primary patent of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, over bedaquiline expired.

As a result, Indian manufacturers will now be able to supply generic versions of bedaquiline.

About Bedaquiline:

Bedaquiline is a medication used in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB).
It is an antibiotic that targets the bacteria responsible for TB and is considered a cornerstone of DR-TB treatment.

Drug-Resistant TB:

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a form of tuberculosis (TB) caused by bacteria that are resistant to one or more of the standard anti-TB drugs.
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Burden of Drug-resistant TB:

Each year, nearly half a million people develop drug-resistant TB and nearly 10.4 million people develop drug-sensitive TB.
One-third of the world’s population has latent TB, a version of the disease that can turn active as immunity falls.
Nearly 2.8 million patients live in India making it a national public health emergency.

What happens when a Patent over a Medicine Expires ?

When a patent over a medicine expires, it means that the exclusive rights granted to the original developer (usually a pharmaceutical company) to produce and sell that medicine are no longer in effect.
As a result, other manufacturers can now produce and sell generic versions of the medicine.

Generic Versions of Medicine:

Generic versions of medicine are identical copies of brand-name drugs that have the same active ingredients.
These are produced after the patent protection on the original brand-name drug has expired.

News Source: The Hindu