espite being preventable and curable, tuberculosis (TB) is among the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, killing 1.6 million people in 2021—more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Underserved communities bear the largest burden, with more than 95% of TB-related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, but this airborne disease knows no borders.
Growing drug resistance is compounding this public health challenge. In 2021, there were nearly half a million new cases of drug-resistant (DR-TB), which does not respond to the most frequently used first-line TB medicines. Just over 160,000 of these patients were diagnosed, meaning there are approximately 300,000 people with DR-TB who do not know they are infected. Drug-resistant TB now accounts for nearly one-third of all deaths directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Disruptions to health systems and diversion of resources caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the situation, resulting in an increase in TB deaths and disease for the first time in a decade.
For 20 years, both in the lab and at the last mile of healthcare in countries impacted by TB and DR-TB, Johnson & Johnson has been supporting efforts in high-burden regions and countries, including Southeast Asia, India, China, South Africa, and around the globe to end TB and combat AMR.
To drive progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of ending TB by 2030, in September 2018, Johnson & Johnson announced a 10-year initiative focused around three pillars:
![]()
To build a world without TB, we must bring this disease out of the shadows and address the biggest barriers that prevent people from seeking care. Young people can play a key role in bringing about this change, which is why it’s so important to meaningfully invest in the potential of youth as champions of change for themselves, their families, their peers and their communities.
![]()
![]()
The greatest opportunity to accelerate the fight against TB is right now in this new decade.
![]()
![]()
We can’t beat TB alone. That’s why we’re honored to join forces with our partners in the quest to create the first pan-TB treatment. Together, we can transform TB treatment and end this disease once and for all.
![]()
![]()
Johnson & Johnson is advancing the fight against TB by doing much beyond the pill. We are engaging with partners at the national and international levels to ensure that we work with them to build the capacity and the systems needed to ensure that treatment is accessible.
![]()
![]()
When we end TB, patients and families can go back to their normal lives. Then, we can apply and scale up learnings from TB elimination efforts to help more patients in other areas.
![]()
Johnson & Johnson announces a series of initiatives aimed at helping empower a generation of youth to end TB in support of the Company’s efforts to help find the “missing millions.”
Janssen investigates possible compound for the treatment of MDR-TB.
Janssen researchers create new anti-TB treatment using a new compound identified two years earlier that is able to kill off TB bacteria by blocking a specific enzyme. This research is published in Science one year later.
Our MDR-TB medicine is granted accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA as the first targeted drug with a novel mechanism of action against TB in more than 40 years.
Our company enters into a commercial licensing agreement with JSC Pharmstandard for the registration, commercialization and manufacturing of MDR-TB medicine for Russia and several other countries in the region.
This partnership with a procurement agent for the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility (GDF) helps to facilitate access to the company’s MDR-TB medicine.
Janssen announces collaboration with the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union) to include our MDR-TB medicine in two arms of the STREAM study, an ongoing trial to evaluate MDR-TB treatment regimens.
Our company commits to donate courses of our medicine, free of charge, in up to 110 eligible countries through a donation program with USAID and Pharmastand, ultimately donating 105,000 courses from 2015-2019.
The World Health Organization adds our MDR-TB medicine to its essential medicines list. The pediatric formulation is later added in 2021.
Our MDR-TB medicine receives an International Prix Galien Award, recognizing excellence in scientific innovation to improve human health.
Johnson & Johnson announces a collaboration with India’s Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTech) that's focused on discovering new treatments for TB.
South Africa becomes the first country to recommend a bedaquiline-containing, injection-free regimen for all eligible MDR-TB patients.
Johnson & Johnson announced that our MDR-TB medicine would be made available at a not-for-profit price to more than 130 countries procuring our medicine through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility.
Johnson & Johnson announces new 10-year TB initiative aimed at improving patient finding, expanding treatment access and advancing R&D at the first UN High Level Meeting on TB.
Johnson & Johnson partners with the EU’s Innovative Health Initiative and eight European academic and research institutions to launch a new collaborative, RESPIRI-TB, aimed at accelerating the discovery of new TB medicines. The initiative later launches UNITE4TB in 2021.
J&J announces four-year commitment, focused on developing new innovations and accelerating the delivery of existing and new tools to combat both epidemics.
The U.S. FDA grants approval for the medicine as part of combination therapy for eligible patients over the age of 12 and younger than 18 with pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of all-oral regimens containing our medicine for all drug-resistant tuberculosis patients.
Johnson & Jonson joins a global consortium of philanthropic, non-profit and private sector organizations to accelerate the development of novel “pan-TB” treatment regimens.
Johnson & Johnson receives the first regulatory approval for the pediatric formulation of our medicine, which is later also approved by the European Commission in March 2021.
J&J and Stop TB Partnership announce joint efforts to accelerate scale-up of WHO-recommended, all-oral treatment regimens and drive progress toward the global goal of ending TB.
Johnson & Johnson announces five initiatives to help find and deliver care to the “missing millions” of adults and children living with TB who have not yet been diagnosed.
First Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery is launched at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, aimed at accelerating new TB drug regimens.
Johnson & Johnson joins with PAN-TB collaboration to announce the progression of two investigational TB combination regimens into phase 2 clinical development.