MHF TOP PICKS FOR July
Every month, we at the Mueller Health Foundation like to showcase interesting news and updates in the field of tuberculosis. Below are our top 3 picks for July:
- South Africa and J&J Reach a Deal to Widen Access to a Key Tuberculosis Treatment
South African antitrust authorities ended an investigation into Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen subsidiary over excessive pricing of a lifesaving tuberculosis drug after the companies took steps to lower the cost and widen access to the medicine. In a brief statement, the Competition Commission explained that J&J and Janssen agreed not to enforce a so-called secondary patent on bedaquiline, which is also sold under the brand name Sirturo, a step that makes it possible for generic companies to supply a lower-cost version. At the same time, the companies agreed to lower the price charged to the National Department of Health by about 40%. To learn more, you can access the full article at: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/tuberculosis/jj-agrees-lower-price-tb-drug-bedaquiline-allow-production-south-africa
- Study Finds Heterogeneity in Lung Macrophage Control of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is Modulated by T Cells
Following Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, alveolar macrophages are initially infected but ineffectively restrict bacterial replication. The distribution of M. tuberculosis among different cell types in the lung changes with the onset of T cell immunity when the dominant infected cellular niche shifts from alveolar to monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). The researchers hypothesized that changes in bacterial distribution among different cell types is driven by differences in T cell recognition of infected cells and their subsequent activation of antimicrobial effector mechanisms. The study shows that CD4 and CD8 T cells efficiently eliminate M. tuberculosis infection in alveolar macrophages, but they have less impact on suppressing infection in MDM, which may be a bacterial niche.
DID YOU KNOW?
A recent report has shed more light on the increasing challenges that prisons in the Philippines face in managing the spread and treatment of tuberculosis among inmates. Below are some key facts:
- The Philippines ranks fourth globally in the number of TB prison infections, surpassed only by Brazil, Russia, and China.
- In the first three months of this year, just over 39,000 new and relapsed TB cases were reported in penal institutions in the Philippines, according to figures the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau. This constitutes an increase from roughly 32,500 over the same period in 2023.
- According to the Department for Health’s latest annual briefing, the TB infection rate still stands at 1,777 per 100,000 people in prisons, compared to 599 outside. Furthermore, other studies suggests that only about 53% of infected persons are diagnosed and treated within the prison systems.
- In addition to low rates of diagnosis, prisons face issues like lack of nutritious food, sporadic water shortages, and poorly ventilated, overheated cells.
- But one of the biggest constraints in identifying TB infections is the lack of prison-owned x-ray machines and a designated treatment facility within the premises. Only one mobile van, operated by Philippine Business for Social Progress, travels across the country to offer healthcare to remote communities and incarcerated populations. However, the van only visits incarceration facilities once a year, if at all.
- More support and funding are needed to address the lack of facilities, health personnel, resources, and medical equipment in prisons.