The Stop TB Partnership has announced that a course of treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is now less than $300, following the third major price review in 2025, marking a new milestone in ensuring access to treatment for the most vulnerable populations.
The Global Drugs Fund (GDF) Stop TB Partnership has announced a 30% price reduction for Lupin’s bedaquiline, now available for just $63 per course. This price reduction brings the lowest cost of a full BPaLM regimen – the most widely recommended treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis – below $300 for the first time, down from $284 per course.
The price reduction for bedaquiline is expected to result in annual savings of more than $4.5 million for GDF clients and high-burden countries that reference GDF prices in their procurement negotiations. This price reduction alone could enable the purchase of 71,000 additional courses of bedaquiline or 16,000 full courses of BPaLM each year.
In total, the six WHO-recommended drug regimens for TB now cost less than $300, and the price of the endTB 9BLMZ regimen has dropped to less than $200, reaching just $173 per course.
“In today’s financial climate, when every penny counts, this is a huge achievement,” said Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership.
Not long ago, a full course of drug treatment for TB cost more than $1,000, making it unaffordable for most patients in low- and middle-income countries. Now, thanks to concerted action by the international community, the price has been more than tripled, paving the way for more widespread treatment and lives saved.
The key tool in this process has been the Global Drug Facility (GDF), a centralized platform for the supply of medicines that negotiates with manufacturers and guarantees a stable supply of medicines to countries at an agreed price. It is through the GDF that governments and non-governmental organizations gain access to updated price offers and are able to purchase medicines at a significantly lower cost.
The Stop TB Partnership emphasizes that this breakthrough was achieved thanks to many years of negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, the introduction of innovations in production processes and increased competition among manufacturers. The decisive factor was also the support of international donors, who systematically invest in overcoming the global tuberculosis epidemic.
Reducing the cost of treatment means that thousands of patients who previously remained without access to modern therapy will now have a chance at recovery. Drug-resistant tuberculosis is one of the greatest threats to global health, as the complexity and high cost of treatment have long hindered progress in the fight against the disease.
Representatives of the Stop TB Partnership emphasize: this step will be crucial in achieving the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating tuberculosis as a threat to humanity. The availability of modern drugs is critical to reducing mortality and breaking the chains of transmission of a dangerous infection.