JOHANNESBURG–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#JnJ–The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today strongly condemned pharma giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for again putting profits before people’s lives by charging South Africa more than twice what many other countries are paying for the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) medicine SIRTURO (bedaquiline) and extending its patent another four years.
“While shocking, this move by Johnson & Johnson is unfortunately not surprising – we demand that the company halt its profiteering tactics immediately and sell South Africa bedaquiline at the same cost countries are paying through Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility. Additionally, J&J must avail the patent for the lifesaving treatment so that generic drug manufacturers can produce the medicine at affordable prices,” said Dr. Kate Ssamula, Country Program Director for AHF South Africa. “We have one of the highest rates of MDR-TB globally, and tuberculosis is the leading cause of death for South Africans, with 56,000 TB deaths in 2021 alone. Johnson & Johnson must be held accountable for its rampant and immoral greed that is keeping us from protecting our citizens.”
AHF has ramped up its tuberculosis advocacy in Africa and worldwide to bring awareness to the global TB response and urge governments everywhere to dedicate sufficient resources to save lives from this preventable and treatable disease. Read more here about Africa’s TB response from AHF’s Dr. Lydia E Buzaalirwa, Director of Quality Management for AHF Africa.
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 1.8 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
Contacts
SOUTH AFRICA MEDIA CONTACT
Ngaatendwe Murombedzi
Regional Advocacy and Policy Manager Southern Africa, AHF
+27664770819
ngaatendwe.murombedzi@ahf.org
US MEDIA CONTACT:
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF
+1 323 308 1833 work +1.323.791.5526 mobile
gedk@aidshealth.org
Denys Nazarov, Director of Global Policy & Communications, AHF
+1 323.308.1829
denys.nazarov@aidshealth.org