Glaxo Wellcome continue the battle against TB
The re-emergence of TB as a global threat comes not simply as part of the legacy of AIDS but, in fact, is more directly the result of the appearance of multidrug resistant strains of the mycobacterium. Current statistics suggest that eight million new cases of TB occur each year with about three million dying from the disease. As such, TB is once more a significant global threat and commercial pharmaceutical companies such as Glaxo Wellcome have joined the battle against TB as announced on World TB day in March. Glaxo Wellcome have underwritten a research initiative, named Action TB to the tune of £10 million with the object of discovering new treatments for TB. According to Glaxo Wellcome chairman Sir Richard Sykes, one of the main reasons for failure of current treatments is compliance with the minimum course of 6 months’ therapy. After an initial successful phase one of Action TB in which several new drug targets have been identified, phase 2 will narrow down on the more promising drugs targets and develop them in models of infection. Vaccines are also a major thrust of the campaign. Action TB believes the success of the initiative will only come if targets are kept clear and well defined.
Wellcome Trust promotes research on biomedical ethics
The Wellcome Trust has established a programme for the development of evidence based …
