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.
Our 10-Year Initiative
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:
Expanding global access to our multidrug-resistant TB treatment, including to 135+ low- and middle-income countries, as well as non-governmental organizations, procuring our medicine through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility, while ensuring careful stewardship to protect its long-term effectiveness in the face of rising AMR
Supporting global efforts to help find the “missing millions” of people with undiagnosed TB and MDR-TB by leveraging our expertise in behavioral science to engage youth and raise community awareness in a concerted effort to drive health-seeking behavior and early diagnosis of TB
Enabling Access to our Medicine for Multidrug-Resistant TB
Enabling Access to our Medicine for Multidrug-Resistant TB
In 2012, our medicine for pulmonary MDR-TB was granted accelerated approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for use as part of a combination therapy in adults when an effective treatment regimen cannot otherwise be provided. This was the first targeted TB drug with a novel mechanism of action to be approved in more than 40 years.
Today, our TB medicine is approved in many countries around the world, including in many high-burden countries, and registration efforts are ongoing in several others. It is also recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a core component of all-oral treatment regimens for nearly all DR-TB patients, in addition to being included on the WHO’s Essential Medicines List.
By the Numbers
Courses of our medicine delivered to date
Courses of our medicine provided for free through a four-year donation program
Countries accessing our medicine, including the 30 highest-burden countries
Countries in which our medicine has been approved
Champions to #EndTB
TB is an often-overlooked area in global health, and our 10-Year Initiative aims to change that. We’re working and partnering in new and unprecedented ways to modernize treatment, improve patient-finding and connect more patients with care – all with the goal of ending TB once and for all.
— Martin Fitchet, Global Head, Global Public Health, Johnson & Johnson
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.
— Anna Caravaggio, Vice President, Global Public Health Franchises, Johnson & Johnson
The greatest opportunity to accelerate the fight against TB is right now in this new decade.
— Ana-Maria Ionescu, Global Marketing Leader, Tuberculosis, Global Public Health
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.
— Ruxandra Draghia-akli, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Global Public Health R&D
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.
— Rachana Acharya, Associate Director, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Janssen India
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.
— Juliana Chin, Regional Public Health Impact & Strategy, Johnson & Johnson Southeast Asia
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.”
New Compound Is Identified
Janssen investigates possible compound for the treatment of MDR-TB.
Janssen Makes Breakthrough Discovery
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.
Medicine Receives Accelerated FDA Approval
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.
Agreement Signed for Russia and CIS
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.
Johnson & Johnson Enters Collaboration With Global Drug Facility
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.
Collaboration Announced to Further Evaluate 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.
Johnson & Johnson Launches Four-Year Donation Program
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.
MDR-TB Medicine Added to WHO Essential Medicines List
The World Health Organization adds our MDR-TB medicine to its essential medicines list. The pediatric formulation is later added in 2021.
Janssen Wins Prestigious International Award
Our MDR-TB medicine receives an International Prix Galien Award, recognizing excellence in scientific innovation to improve human health.
An Innovation-Focused Research Collaboration Is Formed in India
South Africa becomes the first country to recommend a bedaquiline-containing, injection-free regimen for all eligible MDR-TB patients.
Johnson & Johnson Offers Not-for-Profit Price to Eligible Countries
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 10-Year TB Initiative
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 Launches New R&D Collaboration
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 commits $500 million to help end HIV and TB
J&J announces four-year commitment, focused on developing new innovations and accelerating the delivery of existing and new tools to combat both epidemics.
FDA Approves Our MDR-TB Medicine for Adolescents
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).
WHO Recommends All-Oral DR-TB Treatment Regimens
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of all-oral regimens containing our medicine for all drug-resistant tuberculosis patients.
New Global Collaboration to Develop Transformative Treatments
Johnson & Jonson joins a global consortium of philanthropic, non-profit and private sector organizations to accelerate the development of novel “pan-TB” treatment regimens.
FDA Approves Pediatric Formulation of Our MDR-TB Medicine
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 Partners Announce Efforts to Scale-Up Access
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.
J&J Announces Initiatives to Find the “Missing Millions”
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.
J&J Launches Centers for Global Health Discovery
First Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery is launched at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, aimed at accelerating new TB drug regimens.
PAN-TB Collaboration announces execution of a joint development agreement (JDA)
Johnson & Johnson joins with PAN-TB collaboration to announce the progression of two investigational TB combination regimens into phase 2 clinical development.
