Abstract

Background: Pharmaceutical technologies depend heavily on patent protection for their development and further access by people. Methods: To give insights about the upcoming technologies (pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical) to fight TB this study prospected the global portfolio on TB patents registered worldwide from 2001-2021. Results: In the last two decades were registered 12,283 anti-TB patent families globally, with a peak by 2015, but almost half are inactive. 70% of the portfolio is focused on TB treatment, the remaining for diagnose or vaccine technologies. Most top-30 countries in TB assets are high-income. Holders are spread mainly in USA (43 %) and China (10%). Half of them are universities and research centers. Conclusion: The market monopoly of TB drugs by the pharmaceutical industry from high-income nations may be sustaining the obsolete portfolio of TB technologies worldwide, what favors TB strain resistance. Public policies have an important role in counterbalance this scenario by promoting research in universities and research centers, especially in mid- to low-income countries. We suggest incentives towards diagnosis and vaccine-related technologies to build a solid and effective portfolio of anti-TB patents.

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