Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 18: To discuss the implementation of Bedaquiline in the State, Prof Anil Koul (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and VP research J&J and Prof Alok Dhawan (Director, Centre of Biomedical Research) met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today.
The discussions centered on recent progress, challenges and strategies to align with India’s TB elimination goals as well as defining the new strategic partnerships in fields like AI in drug discovery.
Sharing the details of their meeting, Prof Alok Dhawan stated, “The Chief Minister acknowledged Prof Koul’s and teams discovery of Bedaquiline and encouraged continued innovation in anti-TB drugs. He also praised healthcare workers, ASHA volunteers and the NTEP for improving TB detection and treatment access. The goal is to make Uttar Pradesh TB-free and contribute to India’s vision of ending the disease.”
During the discussions, Prof Koul expressed interest in collaborating with state institutions to develop next-generation anti-TB therapeutics.
He also stressed the potential of AI in accelerating drug discovery and the importance of academic exchange programs to nurture local talent.
Prof Koul said, “We are committed to driving scientific innovation in TB drug development, building on Bedaquiline’s success. AI-driven platforms can revolutionize drug discovery. Another important aspect is to improve access to novel treatments, including emerging disease therapies such as cell-based treatments for cancer using novel partnership frame works between hospitals as well as local and global R&D institutions.”
In 2018, PM Narendra Modi set an ambitious goal to eliminate TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target. This led to the rebranding of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) as the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in 2020.
Under NTEP, interventions such as enhanced case detection, universal drug susceptibility testing, private sector engagement, and nutritional support under Nikshay Poshan Yojana were implemented.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, reported over 620,000 TB cases in 2023, the highest in the country.
In response, the state government launched a 100-day intensive TB detection campaign in December 2024, identifying thousands of new cases. This initiative focuses on early diagnosis, active case-finding, and treatment adherence.
Earlier during the day, Prof Koul met with Prof Sonia Nityanand, Vice Chancellor of King George Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow to evaluate Bedaquiline’s impact, address supply challenges and assess patient experiences with drug-resistant TB.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
