In 2019, TB survivors opposed @JNJNews patent on bedaquiline, a lifesaving TB drug.

The crucial hearing at the Indian Patent Office is tomorrow.

We call on the Indian Patent Office to reject ❌ J&J’s effort to prolong its monopoly on this medicine.

🧵 Here is the story: In 2019, the Managing Director of Janssen in India, the local pharmaceutical division of J&J, publicly stated that come July 2023, when the primary patent on bedaquiline will expire, generic manufacturers will be able to make their own affordable versions.

Cardiovascular disease 🫀 is the world’s biggest killer, representing 32% of all global deaths.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 🧵 1/11 #Hypertension is a “silent killer” as most people with hypertension are not aware of their diagnosis. 2/11

Greater geographic distribution of vaccine production capacity is a necessary component of global disease preparedness.

That’s why we are again calling on @BioNTech_Group to transfer mRNA technology to manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries.🧵

msfaccess.org/german-governm… Focusing on diversifying mRNA vaccine production is important, because moving low- and middle-income countries toward self-sufficient vaccine production would make countries and regions better prepared for future pandemics and increase global vaccine supply, if needed.

🧵THREAD: @CepheidNews has said it will reduce the price of its #COVID19 test from US$19.80 to only $14.90 for low- and middle-income countries. MSF demands Cepheid release the test's cost of production to justify this still-too-high price.

Here’s why⬇️ 1⃣ There have been multiple alarms from countries that the unaffordable price of Cepheid’s test is hindering their COVID-19 response, and $14.90 is still too high for many countries in which MSF operates.

reuters.com/investigates/s…

🧵Did you hear? @WHO has recommended tocilizumab as a treatment for severe #COVID19.

It´s only the second ever to be recommended for COVID-19.

But here´s the problem: due to high prices 💲 and @Roche´s monopoly, it will remain inaccessible for most people around the world. 🗺️ Tocilizumab belongs to a group of treatments called monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are used to treat various diseases including cancers.

Most mAbs are priced so high that they are virtually impossible to access in low- and middle-income countries.

msf-access.medium.com/monoclonal-ant…

THREAD: MSF has experienced first-hand positive and negative impacts of voluntary licenses on access to the medicines we provide to people in our care and beyond.

Here are some things you should know about voluntary licenses & access to medicines 👇 Did you know that pharma companies often restrict to where and to whom a generic drug can be sold?

This happens via private contracts, meaning that people are denied #AccessToMedicines due to geographic limitations decided in secret agreements.😤

🔽
bit.ly/31xgvu3

THREAD: During this pandemic, treatment providers and governments have faced shortages of #COVID19 drugs, test reagents, masks, and ventilator valves caused by corporations controlling supply using patents, trade secrets or other IP.

We compiled examples of such shortages⬇️ Example 1- Impact of intellectual property barriers on #COVID19 drugs.

#COVIDshortages
#WhyWeNeedIPWaiver

1/ Yury is the 1st person to complete treatment at @MSF’s #tuberculosis treatment programme in #Belarus. Here's his story in a few tweets ⬇ 2/ Yury is celebrating a moment he thought would never arrive: he has been cured of a complicated form of TB bit.ly/2vQFBl3 #XDRTB