30 April 2014 - Geneva, Switzerland - The Global Drug Facility (GDF) announces that bedaquiline (Sirturo) is now available for procurement through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility and its procurement agent, the International Dispensary Association (IDA). Bedaquiline is a Janssen-developed drug indicated for use as part of combination therapy to treat adults with multi-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The price and marketing strategy relating to bedaquiline have been defined and set by the manufacturer, who is the sole source supplier of this product to date.
WHO estimates that there were approximately 450,000 new MDR-TB cases in the world in 2012 but only one in five of these notified cases were enrolled on treatment, of which less than half were successfully treated[1]. Antibacterial resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is a major public health problem that arises as a result of improper use of antibiotics and poor patient adherence to a long, often toxic, therapy. Left untreated, a single person with MDR-TB may infect 10-15 people every year[2]. In 2013 the GDF provided quality assured anti-TB drugs to more than 130 countries, which includes all 24 high MDR-TB burden markets.
Note: For more information on how GDF is adding this product to its list of products supplied, please refer to the FAQ on the procurement of Bedaquiline through GDF. If you have any questions, please contact: BDQ@stoptb.org