MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the Centre to decide by April 28 on a representation made last November for ‘compulsory licenses’ to import two patented life-saving anti-TB drugs Bedaquiline and Delamanid.
The compulsory license would to ensure swifter and affordable access to the fairly new drugs that treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) cases, said a Public interest litigation (PIL).
“Non-accessibility constitutes a violation of right to life,’’ said senior counsel Anand Grover with advocate Rahul Kamerkar appearing for an NGO, Jan swasthya abhiyan and Thane resident Meera Yadav survivor of XDR-TB who filed the PIL.