19 Sep 2007 03:00 AM
Gates Foundation Commits $280 Million For Research To Fight Global TB Epidemic
The Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation today grants totaling $280 million to help fight
tuberculosis, an epidemic that infects one-third of people on earth and
kills nearly 2 million yearly - mostly in the poorest countries. The 11 new
grants will speed research and development on promising vaccines,
diagnostic tests, and treatments to help reduce the global TB burden.
"TB science has advanced significantly over the past five years, and these grants build on this momentum and the progress that has been made," said Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program. "By bringing together a wide range of partners, including scientists from countries heavily affected by TB, we hope to help translate promising ideas into tools that can save millions of lives."
The grants focus on three key areas:
-- Vaccine development: $200 million over five years to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation to conduct clinical trials of up to six TB vaccine candidates
-- Diagnostics: $62 million over five years to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to develop TB tests that are more accurate and simpler to use
-- Drug discovery: Nine grants totaling $18 million to identify new TB treatments to combat drug resistance
The urgent need for better TB-fighting tools received worldwide attention earlier this year when an airline passenger from the United States traveled across borders with drug-resistant TB and exposed fellow travelers to the disease. This case highlighted the inadequacy of current TB diagnostic tools, which use technology that is more than 100 years old. In addition, the TB vaccine is more than 80 years old and rarely works after childhood, while TB drugs require long and cumbersome regimens, and are losing their effectiveness to rising drug resistance.
"Even in rich countries, efforts to fight TB are severely hampered by the lack of effective tools," said Dr. Peter Small, senior program officer for TB at the Gates Foundation. "Better vaccines, diagnostics, and drugs could dramatically improve the fight against TB, especially in poor countries where large numbers of people are affected by the disease."
Grant to Support TB Vaccine Trials
The Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation will use its new grant to conduct Phase I and II trials of up to six TB vaccine candidates, which are expected…
"TB science has advanced significantly over the past five years, and these grants build on this momentum and the progress that has been made," said Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program. "By bringing together a wide range of partners, including scientists from countries heavily affected by TB, we hope to help translate promising ideas into tools that can save millions of lives."
The grants focus on three key areas:
-- Vaccine development: $200 million over five years to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation to conduct clinical trials of up to six TB vaccine candidates
-- Diagnostics: $62 million over five years to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to develop TB tests that are more accurate and simpler to use
-- Drug discovery: Nine grants totaling $18 million to identify new TB treatments to combat drug resistance
The urgent need for better TB-fighting tools received worldwide attention earlier this year when an airline passenger from the United States traveled across borders with drug-resistant TB and exposed fellow travelers to the disease. This case highlighted the inadequacy of current TB diagnostic tools, which use technology that is more than 100 years old. In addition, the TB vaccine is more than 80 years old and rarely works after childhood, while TB drugs require long and cumbersome regimens, and are losing their effectiveness to rising drug resistance.
"Even in rich countries, efforts to fight TB are severely hampered by the lack of effective tools," said Dr. Peter Small, senior program officer for TB at the Gates Foundation. "Better vaccines, diagnostics, and drugs could dramatically improve the fight against TB, especially in poor countries where large numbers of people are affected by the disease."
Grant to Support TB Vaccine Trials
The Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation will use its new grant to conduct Phase I and II trials of up to six TB vaccine candidates, which are expected…
