Innovation in Global Public Health - Discovery of Bedaquiline for TB and Impact of AI for drug discovery

by Dr Anil Koul (Mankind Pharma / BSV (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK))

Wednesday 29 Jul 2026, 16:00 → 18:00 Asia/Kolkata

AG66

Bedaquiline is the first new drug discovered for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) after a gap of 45 years. This talk will cover its discovery, the challenges of its development, and its transformative impact on the lives of TB patients. It will also highlight the latest anti-TB drugs in the clinical development pipeline that could help India and the world move towards TB elimination. Finally, the session will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate drug discovery for neglected diseases such as TB, reduce the multi-billion-dollar costs of pharmaceutical R&D, and democratize innovation and access to new medicines for underserved populations.