Global tuberculosis drug development pipeline: the need and the reality

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 375; no. 9731; pp. 2100 - 2109
• Main Authors: Ma, Zhenkun, Dr, Lienhardt, Christian, PhD, McIlleron, Helen, PhD, Nunn, Andrew J, Prof, Wang, Xiexiu, Prof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 12.06.2010
• Subjects: Antitubercular Agents - pharmacology; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Clinical trials; Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis - drug therapy; HIV Infections - complications; Humans; Internal Medicine; Mycobacterium; Tuberculosis - complications; Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - drug therapy
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60359-9

Summary Drugs for tuberculosis are inadequate to address the many inherent and emerging challenges of treatment. In the past decade, ten compounds have progressed into the clinical development pipeline, including six new compounds specifically developed for tuberculosis. Despite this progress, the global drug pipeline for tuberculosis is still insufficient to address the unmet needs of treatment. Additional and sustainable efforts, and funding are needed to further improve the pipeline. The key challenges in the development of new treatments are the needs for novel drug combinations, new trial designs, studies in paediatric populations, increased clinical trial capacity, clear regulatory guidelines, and biomarkers for prediction of long-term outcome. Despite substantial progress in efforts to control tuberculosis, the global burden of this disease remains high. To eliminate tuberculosis as a public health concern by 2050, all responsible parties need to work together to strengthen the global antituberculosis drug pipeline and support the development of new antituberculosis drug regimens.