GSK, TB Alliance renew partnership for tuberculosis treatment

LONDON and NEW YORK GlaxoSmithKline and the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development have renewed their joint research program that is designed to improve the treatment of tuberculosis. The collaboration began in 2004 and currently includes some projects that may produce new medicines to attack Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis.

The deal has been extended for an additional three years to research tuberculosis and malaria. So far under the deal, the collaboration has seen two drug discovery projects, out of five, in non-clinical studies to have potential benefits in fighting persistent forms of mycobacterium tuberculosis and thereby offer better chances of shortening treatment duration, which currently takes about six months to complete.

“We are encouraged by the success of our pioneering work with GSK, which has nearly doubled the number of TB drug discovery projects in our pipeline,” said Mel Spigelman, TB Alliance director of research and development. “This collaboration is advancing the TB Alliance’s mission to develop revolutionary, faster and better TB treatment regimens by exploring new ways to attack the disease.”