espite being preventable and curable, tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing 1.6 million people every year—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 2017, there were nearly 500,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), which does not respond to the two most frequently used first-line TB drugs. Drug-resistant TB now accounts for nearly one-third of all deaths from antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
For nearly 20 years, both in our laboratories and on the ground in countries impacted by TB and MDR-TB, Johnson & Johnson has been supporting global efforts to end TB and combat AMR.
XRay King Dinuzulu Hospital
Our Mission: Enabling a World Without TB
Our Mission: Enabling a World Without 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 available in dozens more countries procuring the medicine through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility.
By the Numbers
Courses of our medicine delivered to date
Courses of our treatment 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
Our 10-Year Initiative
In September 2018, Johnson & Johnson reaffirmed its continued commitment to the fight against TB by announcing a new 10-year initiative with three pillars:
Expanding access to treatment by offering a special effort price to 130+ low- and middle-income countries, as well as nongovernmental organizations, procuring our medicine through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility
Improving case finding and strengthening health systems to reach the thousands of people with undiagnosed TB and MDR-TB and connect them to care, including by improving diagnostic capacity, training health workers and raising community awareness
Accelerating TB research and development (R&D) to discover innovative next-generation treatments, both internally and in collaboration with research institutions like India’s Institute for Microbial Technology
Janssen identifies a compound that would ultimately be developed as our new therapy for MDR-TB.
Janssen’s MDR-TB Medicine Shows Promise
The Janssen team publishes a study in the medical journal Science showing that our medicine successfully treats MDR-TB in mice.
Janssen Partners With TB Alliance
Janssen enters into a license and collaboration agreement with the TB Alliance focused on the development of our MDR-TB medicine for drug-sensitive TB.
Medicine Receives Accelerated 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.
Janssen Enters Collaboration With Stichting International Dispensary Association
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.
Johnson & Johnson Launches Innovative Partnership With USAID
The company commits to provide up to 30,000 courses of MDR-TB medicine, free of charge, in eligible low- and middle-income countries through a donation program with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Johnson & Johnson Forms Innovative Partnership With Pharmstandard
The company enters an agreement with Pharmstandard to register and commercialize MDR-TB medicine and donate nearly 6,000 courses of treatment over four years in Russia and other countries in the region.
Janssen Partners With Institute of Microbial Technology
Janssen signs a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s Institute of Microbial Technology to develop safer, shorter and more effective TB treatments and multidrug regimens.
Johnson & Johnson Announces Extension of Donation Program
In response to high demand, Johnson & Johnson commits to provide an additional 30,000 courses of treatment through March 2019 via a donation program with USAID and Pharmstandard.
South African Government Leads the Way
South Africa becomes the first country to recommend a bedaquiline-containing, injection-free regimen for all eligible MDR-TB patients.
Johnson & Johnson Offers Special Effort Price for Low- and Middle-Income Countries
In recognition of South Africa’s leadership, Johnson & Johnson announces a new single-channel price for eligible national TB programs and NGOs procuring our treatment through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility.
New Study Shows Cost Effectiveness of Our MDR-TB Medicine
A new cost-effectiveness study suggests both long- and short-course regimens containing our MDR-TB drug, without injectables, are cost-effective and provide significant health system savings.
WHO Announces Revised Treatment Guidelines for MDR-TB
The World Health Organization announces revised treatment guidelines for MDR-TB that categorize our medicine as a “Group A” medicine to be prioritized when constructing a conventional (long-course) regimen for MDR-TB.
Johnson & Johnson Announces 10-year TB Initiative
Johnson & Johnson announces new 10-year TB initiative aimed at improving case finding, expanding treatment access and advancing R&D
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Champions to #ENDTB
To end TB, we urgently need to bring forward a new generation of treatments and multidrug regimens that are shorter, safer and more effective than many of the drugs currently used to treat the disease.
— Jaak Peeters, Global Head, Global Public Health, Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, our top priority is developing and delivering medicines to all patients in need. We stand committed to working closely with countries and other partners to rapidly scale up access to bedaquiline and reach all eligible patients.
— Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer
Our mission has always been to ensure that patients have access to the best and most innovative TB treatment. I am confident that together with our global partners, we can achieve our ambitious goal of ending TB by 2030.
— Adrian Thomas, Vice President for Global Access and TB Lead Global Public Health, Johnson & Johnson
It has been an honor to be part of the team that worked to develop the first novel medicine for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the last 40 years. Our achievement highlights the importance of research to improve global public health and reinforces Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to Our Credo: patients come first.
— Koen Andries, Distinguished Research Fellow Emeritus, Janssen
