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An Incredible Update

2023-09-30 · announcement · John · 3:42 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development · mode: News analysis · tags: timely hook, calendar ritual, heavy topic

In a surprise extra Pizzamas video, John reports that Johnson & Johnson will not enforce its secondary bedaquiline patents in any low- or middle-income country, credits the company and the campaigners, and thanks viewers who pushed for it.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Pizzamas reminder; the first-ever extra Pizzamas video; recap of the bedaquiline secondary-patent campaign and generic prices

  • ★★ John reminds viewers that everything at Pizzamas.com disappears at the end of Pizzamas. — 00:00:00 · Pizzamas
  • ★ John says that in the long history of Pizzamas he has never made an extra Pizzamas video, but makes an exception for an extraordinary update. — 00:00:14 · Pizzamas
  • ★★ John recalls that Nerdfighteria joined a campaign against J&J's secondary bedaquiline patent: the patent was expiring, but a backup patent extended J&J's monopoly a further four years. — 00:00:29 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John says people in low- and middle-income countries need bedaquiline, and generic competition is known to cut its price by more than 50%. — 00:00:44

00:00:58 — The earlier partial deal, today's J&J announcement covering all low- and middle-income countries, credit to J&J and the campaigners, and why it is rare and big

  • ★★ John recalls that after days of pressure J&J and the Global Fund announced generic competition only in some countries, leaving out Ukraine, South Africa and many others: a compromise win. — 00:00:58 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ John reports that today J&J announced it will not enforce its secondary bedaquiline patents in any of the 143 low- and middle-income countries. — 00:01:27
    • a number in question (doubtful): "143" — check against the recording
  • ★★ John says this is the announcement they waited for, which despite his over-the-top optimism he never thought possible; he had assumed it probably wouldn't happen. — 00:01:40
  • ★★ John says Nerdfighteria and many others kept pushing J&J over the last month to release the secondary patent entirely. — 00:01:45 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ John gives J&J huge credit for showing it cares about patient access, even though it acted under heavy pressure, including from governments such as South Africa's. — 00:02:00
  • ★★ John says J&J has essentially agreed to everything Doctors Without Borders, Partners In Health, Treatment Action Group and many others asked for. — 00:02:17 · Partners In Health
  • ★★★ After a string of such victories, John stresses how wildly uncommon it is for a pharmaceutical or diagnostics company to lower prices under pressure; these are massive wins. — 00:02:26
  • ★★★ John says tens of millions of dollars will be saved by the Global Fund and low- and middle-income countries, money that can treat more people for tuberculosis. — 00:02:36 · tuberculosis

00:02:55 — Pizzamas timing, thanks to viewers and J&J, gratitude, champagne and sign-off

  • ★★ John calls the news a wondrous Pizzamas gift from J&J with perfect timing, since this year (2023) all Pizzamas profits support better tuberculosis care in the developing world. — 00:02:55 · Pizzamas, tuberculosis
  • ★★★ John thanks everyone who wrote an email, made a call, tweeted or made a meme: they made a huge difference. — 00:03:10 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John thanks J&J and says he feels nothing but gratitude, with a little surprise; the news is beyond his capacity for language. — 00:03:24
  • ★ With Sarah out of town, John says he will drink champagne by himself to celebrate. (playful) — 00:03:30 · Sarah Urist Green

In the description and comments

  • ★★ The description says J&J confirmed it will not enforce secondary bedaquiline patents in any low- or middle-income country; the agreement covers 134 nations, essentially everything asked for. — video description
  • ★★ In a comment John thanks J&J and all the individuals, organizations and governments who refused to accept the poor paying needlessly high prices for bedaquiline. — creator comment

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Bedaquiline · Johnson & Johnson

Also: People: Sarah Urist Green

Projects: Pizzamas

Organizations: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Concepts: evergreening · generic drug · middle-income country · multidrug-resistant tuberculosis · pharmaceutical industry · tuberculosis

Places: South Africa · Ukraine

Only in the description or credits: Médecins Sans Frontières · Partners In Health · Treatment Action Group

Also centred on Bedaquiline: Barely Contained Rage: An Open Letter to Johnson & Johnson · The Good News Video · Henry · Talking Tuberculosis, GeneXpert, J&J, and more with MY HEROES

Also centred on Johnson & Johnson: Barely Contained Rage: An Open Letter to Johnson & Johnson · The Good News Video

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