Pioneering TB trial

The grant, received from the European-Developing Country Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), is part of a global clinical trial programme coordinated by the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and Bayer Healthcare AG to study the potential of moxifloxacin - an existing antibiotic - as a substitute drug in standard TB regimens.

Moxifloxacin is currently prescribed in 104 countries to treat certain bacterial respiratory and skin infections. Pre-clinical studies have indicated that it has the potential to be more effective than existing treatments, reducing the treatment period from six months to four months.

Professor Gillespie said: "Our REMoxTb project will perform a clinical trial of two novel treatment regimens for TB in comparison to the standard regimen. Moxifloxacin will be substituted for one of the components of the standard treatment. From this trial, it is hoped that one or both of these new regimens will have a major impact on the number of patients who complete their treatment leading to improved cure rates, a lower risk of resistance emerging and facilitate the control of this disease."

The funding body, EDCTP, aims to reduce poverty in developing countries by improving the population's health through European research integration and in partnership with African countries to develop new clinical interventions to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

TB results in nine million new cases and two million deaths each year around the world. It is a leading cause of death among people with HIV/AIDS, and multi-drug resistance strains are becoming more prevalent.

The REMoxTb project is in collaboration with the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College in Tanzania, University Teaching Hospital Lusaka in Zambia, and the South African Medical Research Council in Durban. The trial is one of the largest ever performed, recruiting 1,500 patients over two years.

Professor Gillespie said: "Another major aim of REMoxTb is to enhance the clinical trials capacity of developing country institutions so that the countries which have a high burden of disease can participate fully in the programme to find new therapies. This is an exciting time for tuberculosis drug development as a number of new agents are waiting for further clinical trials development and this trial provides an opportunity to make the first significant shortening of tuberculosis treatment for thirty years."

Image: Professor Gillespie

• Links:
• Professor Gillespie
• Global Alliance for TB Drug Development
• EDCTP