THE South African Competition Commission, which controls competition in firms in the country’s economy, is investigating Johnson & Johnson for asking too much for tuberculosis (TB) medicine.
The American drug and medical company charges South Africa more than double the fee for the TB drug Bedaquiline compared to the rest of the world.
Johnson & Johnson is also being probed for prolonging their patent on the life-saving treatment, which prevents cheaper options from becoming available in the country.
TB IN SOUTH AFRICA
TB is a common lung infection caused by a specific type of bacteria. According to the latest figures from The World Health Organization, people contracted the infectious disease in 2021 and people died from it the same year. SA has one of the highest rates of TB worldwide. In 2021, more people were infected with TB and died as a result of this preventable and treatable disease.
