US medical and consumer goods firm Johnson & Johnson is marking down the price of its tuberculosis (TB) drug bedaquiline in low- and middle-income countries to promote its utilization in the treatment of Covid-19 positive patients. The company announced on Monday that prices for the drug used for six-month treatments will be dropped from $400 to $340, or around $1.50 per day.  

The drug, which is marketed under the brand name Sirturo, can help coronavirus patients that are suffering from lung bacterial infections. According to the World Health Organization, TB deaths are expected to escalate as a direct consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. The agency predicts that the pandemic could result in an additional 1.4 million TB-related deaths over the next five years.

To further promote the use of its drug, Johnson & Johnson has partnered with United Nations-hosted Stop TB Partnership's Global Drug Facility. The drug will be made available at a discounted price to more than 135 countries worldwide. The company believes that the use of its drug could save hundreds of lives, particularly those who had contracted bacterial infections after having been infected by Covid-19.

Stop TB Partnership stated that the discount provided by Johnson & Johnson will result in an estimated savings of up to $16 million for 2020. National TB programs and initiatives will greatly benefit from the reduced cost of acquisition, particularly during the global health crisis.

The development of new TB treatments has been extremely slow as most pharmaceutical companies are choosing to focus their attention on more profitable diseases.  TB Alliance, a nonprofit organization, had developed its own treatment called pretomanid, which became the third new TB treatment approved in the last four decades. The only other treatment available, called delamanid, is produced by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals.

Johnson & Johnson stated that it plans to increase the number of free medications and medical equipment it will be giving away to institutions and foundations after certain sales thresholds are met. This will include the supply of free drugs that work in combination with its own products as well as other all-oral treatment combinations aimed at treating Covid-19 symptoms and complications.

 While most organizations have lauded Johnson & Johnson's decision to cut the prices for its TB drug, international aid group Médecins Sans Frontières has demanded that the company drop its prices even further. The group is calling on Johnson & Johnson to drop the price of its bedaquiline drug to less than $1 per day for extended treatments.