The Indian Patent Office rejected TB Alliance’s patent application for a combination antibacterial regimen after objections over novelty and inventive step. Patient rights activists welcomed the decision, citing affordable access to BPaL medicines. Mumbai recorded 4,080 drug-resistant TB cases in 2025, according to BMC data. Mumbai, October 28, 2026: In a significant step towards making treatment more affordable for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the Indian Patent Office has rejected a patent.