
Release of Part 1 of EXPOSED scheduled for the week of May 20. EXPOSED is a four-part series of short films that tell the story of the deadly global epidemic of tuberculosis. The series will portray the struggles of four inspiring individuals – an MDR-TB survivor, a TB doctor, a clinical trial volunteer, and a TB vaccine researcher – bringing viewers to the forefront of the race against tuberculosis.
The results of the first TB vaccine efficacy trial in over 90 years was released today showing that the vaccine candidate MVA85A when given as a booster did not provide added protection to infants who had already received BCG. The trial adds scientific value to the field and enhances the field’s understanding and ability in conducting large-scale TB vaccine trials. Additional links to TB R&D news are included.
This week, efficacy data from the recently completed Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled trial in MDR patients evaluating delamanid with background treatment compared to placebo with background treatment was published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Delamanid (OPC-67683) is a new agent derived from the nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazole class of compounds that inhibits mycolic acid synthesis. The abstract and overview of news coverage are presented, as well as, additional links to TB R&D news.
The 243rd American Chemistry Society National Meeting and Exposition is being held in San Diego, California, from March 26 to March 29. There are several presentations on tuberculosis. Here are the abstracts of a few of the talks. The first item received news coverage and discusses two approved antibiotics that may prove effective in treating TB. Additional links to TB R&D News are included.
Saturday, March 24, is officially World TB Day but there has been a stream of activities, publications, news and messages to let the world not forget about this major infectious disease killer that claims millions of lives each year. We present links and summaries of events, publications, messages, and news coverage leading up to World TB Day.
During the “Cure All: A briefing on the status of the most promising new TB drugs research” sponsored by the Critical Path to New TB Drug Regimens (CPTR) on Monday, March 19, Dr. Mel Spigelman, CEO & President, of TB Alliance announced the launch of the NC002 trial, a combination drug trial that establishes a new pathway to TB and multi-drug resistant TB treatment. The meeting also involved high-level officials from U.S. agencies that support TB research including Anthony Fauci (Director, NIAID/NIH), Janet Woodcock (Director, CDER/FDA), and Robert Clay (Deputy Assistant Administrator, Global Health Bureau/USAID).
Today, the fourth annual G-FINDER survey tracking funding for research and development of neglected disease technologies was released. This year’s report shows that funding for product development is on the decline and product development partnerships (PDPs) have been particularly hard hit, as eight of the top twelve public donors cut their funding in 2010. Now is a time of tremendous opportunity, with dozens of potential products within the reach of patients–donors must commit to taking them across the finish line.