Indian Patent Office Rejects TB Alliance’s BPaL Patent, Clearing Path for Generic Drug-Resistant TB Regimen

The Indian Patent Office has rejected TB Alliance’s patent application for BPaL, the six-month bedaquiline-pretomanid-linezolid regimen for drug-resistant TB, after two pre-grant oppositions argued the combination lacked an inventive step, a decision patient groups say could open the door to generic competition and lower prices.