In this episode of MSF PULSE we discuss a breakthrough treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis that remains unaffordable to many of the people who need it most.

Script: INTRO:



What good is a medical breakthrough if those who need it can’t afford it?

Imagine , everyday you wake up sweating with fear.

Because ahead lies the frightening pain of a daily injection.

These toxic medicines can also make you deaf.

Yet still, you may not even survive the treatment.

This is the terrifying daily reality for many people living with multi drug-resistant tuberculosis.

[ Up to 20 pills a day for two years and daily injections]

But now there is new hope: A breakthrough drug called bedaquiline.

This drug gives patients a better chance of survival and has less toxic side effects

So why aren’t we just giving it to all TB patients?

Because Johnson & Johnson is one of the largest pharmaceutical corporations in the world.

And they own the patent on this drug and have sole rights to decide in which countries the drug will be sold until 2023.

They also control the price.

Despite the fact that bedaquiline was developed with taxpayer, non-profit and philanthropic money.

Crazy right?

Johnson and Johnson have priced the drug so high that it’s unaffordable.

More than 80% of people with drug resistant TB don’t have access to bedaquiline.

So, Doctors without Borders has launched a global campaign, calling on Johnson & Johnson to lower the price of Bedaquiline to 1$ a day.

That way more patients can access this life-saving drug.

Why should governments and patients anywhere have to pay high prices when taxpayers, philanthropic organisations and the TB community contributed to help bring this drug to market?

Collaborative effort should yield collaborative decision-making and fair prices.

People should not have to go deaf, lose their jobs or lose their lives because of old toxic treatments, when a better drug exists.

Join our protest on-line by signing our petition. You will find the link below......