18 Million Boost for Discovery of New Oral Treatment for TB.

Announcement in Concert with World Tuberculosis Day 2009 - 24 March

LONDON -- The drive to discover and develop new oral treatments for tuberculosis (TB), which could save millions of lives in developing countries, will receive an 18 million boost, International Development Minister Ivan Lewis announced today.

Current treatment requires multiple antibiotics to be administered over a period of up to 24 to 30 months, which is impractical for people living in developing countries who often don't have access to local medical facilities.

Scientists are developing new treatment regimens, which will reduce the duration of treatment to a fraction of that required at present.

But there is concern that the economic downturn could lead to a lack of sustained funding for research and prevent the discovery of more effective treatments.

To help address these issues, International Development Minister Ivan Lewis announced an 18 million research funding package for the TB Alliance. The announcement was made in concert with World Tuberculosis Day, March 24.

The funding will support:

- The discovery of new life-saving treatments that will shorten treatment duration and be effective against both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant strains of TB.

- Strategic initiatives to streamline and potentially revolutionize the process by which new TB treatments are developed.

Ivan Lewis said:

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Dr. Melvin Spigelman, President & CEO of the TB Alliance said:

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Tuberculosis is an infectious disease, which is spread through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms may include coughing blood, fever, night sweats and weight loss.

Notes to Editors:

1. In November 2008, at a meeting on "Joining forces to accelerate the development of new prevention technologies for HIV," the UK government committed 220 million for the development of prevention technologies for diseases including HIV, TB and malaria. The 18 million has been allocated from this fund.

2. DFID press office contact: Barbara Hewitt, [phone], [e-mail]

3. TB Alliance contact: Derek Ambrosino, [phone], [e-mail]