Strategic Repurposing of Drugs and Host-Directed Therapies for TB

June 27, 2017 | Lucca, Italy

Overview

In conjunction with the Gordon Research Conference Tuberculosis Drug Discovery & Development, the WGND will hold a two-hour side meeting during the GRC to facilitate discussion amongst TB experts on strategic repurposing of drugs for TB. 

Speakers
Barbara Laughon
NIH/NIAID, WGND
Petros Karakousis
Johns Hopkins University
Thomas Hawn
University of Washington
Daniel Frank
NIAID, NIH
David Barros
GSK
Meeting Recap

Background
The Working Group on New TB Drugs is co-sponsoring the 2017 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Tuberculosis Drug Discovery & Development in Lucca, Italy. This GRC will bring together TB drug development experts from around the world to discuss unique challenges in TB drug discovery and development. The conference provides the opportunity to interact with colleagues in the TB drug field and promote discussion.

Objective
The WGND hopes to take advantage of the opportunity presented at the GRC in June to facilitate the discussion of a coordinated strategy for TB drug development moving forward. The high cost and protracted nature of preclinical TB drug screening, combined with low profitability, have hampered the development of new anti-TB drugs. Additionally, regulatory requirements for extensive toxicity testing pose significant delays prior to the use of novel agents in clinical settings. The repurposing of existing agents with direct antimicrobial and/or immune-modulatory activity, as well as favorable toxicity profiles, may represent a shortcut to market. As proposed by the WGND Core Team, the WGND will hold a two-hour side meeting during the GRC to facilitate discussion on strategic repurposing of existing agents and identify opportunities for development.

Key Questions
• Given current data, which classes of existing agents should be further developed for TB?
• How to move host-directed therapies into clinical development and incorporating them into current regimens?
• How do we determine host-directed therapy effectiveness for treatment outcomes?

Materials
Summary chart of existing compounds, compound classes, and details of development.

 

  • Repurposed Drugs for TB
    Barbara Laughon
    https://www.newtbdrugs.org/sites/default/files/meetings/files/1_WGND%20Global%20TB%20Drug%20Pipeline%20%281%29_1.pptx
    M. Tuberculosis, Macrophages, & HDTs
    Thomas Hawn
    https://www.newtbdrugs.org/sites/default/files/meetings/files/3_HDT%20GRC%20Workshop%20Hawn%20062517.pptx
    Clinical Trials on HDTs for TB: Study endpoints and other considerations
    Petros Karakousis
    https://www.newtbdrugs.org/sites/default/files/meetings/files/2_%20Petros_HDT_062717_pck.pptx
    Preclinical Pathway to Host-Directed Therapy for TB/HIV Co-Infection
    Daniel Frank
    https://www.newtbdrugs.org/sites/default/files/meetings/files/4_%20Daniel%20Frank_GRC%20WGND%20workshop%202.pptx