Janssen and Stop TB Partnership to expand access to tuberculosis medicines

Janssen has entered into a new agreement with the Stop TB Partnership that will facilitate access to tuberculosis therapies in a number of poorer countries.

The novel collaboration has been agreed with the Stichting International Dispensary Association (IDA), a procurement agent for the Stop TB Partnership's Global Drug Facility (GDF), to facilitate access to a new anti-tuberculosis medicine from Janssen.

More than 130 low and middle-income countries outside of the US will then be able to obtain the medication through a procurement practice established by the GDF and IDA.

This public-private partnership was established by the newly-formed Janssen Global Public Health and comes as part of overall efforts to improve public wellbeing.

Dr Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of parent company Johnson and Johnson and worldwide chairman of Janssen, said: "Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is a complex public health problem. We feel we have a responsibility to work together with others in the tuberculosis community in order to tackle this challenge."

The firm received a conditional approval from the European commission for its tuberculosis drug Sirturo last month.