ECAT Calls on TB Alliance to Withdraw Patent Applications on Pretomanid and Launches Signature Campaign for Open Letter

On World Tuberculosis Day, the Eurasian Community for Access to Treatment (ECAT) has issued an official letter to the TB Alliance, urging the organization to withdraw its patent applications on the drug pretomanid, or to officially waive any intellectual property rights related to this essential medicine used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

ECAT is also launching a signature campaign, inviting organizations, activists, and public health experts to sign the open letter. The goal is to unite the global community and emphasize the critical need to remove patent barriers in order to expand access to lifesaving treatment.

Please note: signatures will be collected until March 30 (inclusive).

We believe that sustainable access to effective treatment requires not only scientific innovation, but also political will, transparent regulatory systems, and the removal of intellectual property barriers. We are calling on TB Alliance to either withdraw its secondary patent applications on pretomanid, or to officially waive enforcement of intellectual property rights related to this compound.

The recent 13% price reduction for pretomanid is a step in the right direction. However, we believe the price can be reduced significantly further — down to $11 per month, according to research — if patent restrictions are lifted and generic manufacturers are allowed to enter the market.

We would also like to highlight that the current patent applications filed by TB Alliance relate to so-called “evergreening” patents — formulations, amorphous forms, and other technical modifications that, according to international experts and UN agencies, do not constitute true innovation but are instead used to prolong monopolies and restrict access to medicines.

We are grateful to the TB Alliance for its commitment to fighting tuberculosis and improving access to treatment worldwide. However, we strongly urge the organization to move away from practices that resemble the strategies of commercial pharmaceutical companies and instead focus on promoting a more open and equitable approach to access to essential medicines.

Read and sign the letter in Russian.

Read and sign the letter in English.