Ground breaking therapy offers hope for people with Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
Paris, France, 8 December 2016, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), is proud to accept the prestigious International Prix Galien, recognizing excellence in scientific innovation to improve human health.
The award is presented every two years to a medicine that has previously won a national Prix Galien, in recognition of the pharmaceutical industry’s outstanding achievement in the development of new therapies. It is considered the highest accolade for pharmaceutical research and development.1,2 The development of Johnson & Johnson’s treatment for MDR-TB marks an essential step toward arresting the global antimicrobial resistance threat. The award is particularly meaningful since it represents the first time a treatment for a neglected disease such as tuberculosis has been recognized by the Prix Galien.
“Johnson & Johnson is honored to receive the International Prix Galien award for our work in the MDR-TB arena. This achievement is a testament to the tireless efforts of our research scientists and to our global partners,” said Wim Parys, M.D., Head, R&D Global Public Health, Johnson & Johnson. “MDR-TB is a critical part of Johnson & Johnson’s new Global Public Health (GPH) organization and underscores our commitment to ensuring essential medicines and care for the world’s most vulnerable and neglected populations.”
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious disease killer, affecting an estimated 10.4 million people around the world annually and killing more than 4,900 people each day.6 In 2015 there were an estimated 480,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and an additional 100,000 people with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB), who were also newly eligible for MDR-TB treatment.6 Globally, 132,120 cases of MDR-TB and RR-TB were detected and notified in 2015, and nearly 125,000 were enrolled on treatment.
Johnson & Johnson’s MDR-TB treatment was initially approved in the US in 2012 as part of a combination therapy in the treatment of adults with pulmonary MDR-TB.3 It was the first medication with a novel mechanism of action in over 40 years to be approved for the treatment of adult patients with TB, and the first drug ever to be approved for adult patients with pulmonary MDR-TB.3,4,5 Before the introduction of Johnson & Johnson’s MDR-TB treatment, fewer than 50 percent of patients with MDR-TB were treated successfully.5
Johnson & Johnson’s strong commitment to global health is reflected in the work that Janssen is undertaking to develop innovative pharmaceutical products that address significant worldwide unmet medical needs, as well as unique partnerships to ensure vital medicines reach vulnerable and neglected populations. With TB, these efforts include an existing collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support the 4-year Bedaquiline Donation Program, through which Janssen will provide up to 30,000 treatment courses for use in more than 100 low and middle-income countries around the world; longstanding partnerships with the Union, Harvard University and TB Alliance; and a more recent partnership with FIND.
This latest International Prix Galien award is Janssen’s fifth international award. Janssen is now one of the most awarded companies in the 46-year history of the Prix Galien, having been previously in 2014, 2012, 2006 and 1996.
