In a highly unusual move, Unitaid has publicly criticized Johnson & Johnson over its pricing and patenting policies for a key drug used to combat tuberculosis.
The global health organization released a letter urging the company to drop so-called secondary patents for its medicine, known as bedaquiline, and to make negotiated prices for the drug available to all countries, regardless of existing arrangements for making purchases.
The missive was sent one month after J&J reached an agreement with the Stop TB Partnership, which was created by the United Nations, to allow generic companies to make cheaper versions in dozens of low- and middle-income countries. The move lowered the cost of the pill to $130 for a six-month course of treatment, a 55% drop from the previous price of $289.