Tuberculosis (TB) is the oldest and most deadly disease in human history, causing over 1.2 million deaths every year. TB is an infectious airborne disease that mainly affects the lungs. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).
The main treatment option for TB is long courses of multiple antibiotics. However antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a process in which bacteria have developed the ability to resist the action of medicines - has made it harder, longer and more costly to treat TB. Half a million people are infected with multidrug-resistant Mtb each year and the need for new treatment options is urgent.
Insufficient investment and innovation in TB drug development has led to a limited number of potential treatments reaching clinical trials.
To tackle the global health threat caused by TB, the IOI has awarded £5m to support the establishment of an Oxford consortium comprising chemists, biologists, clinicians, vaccinologists and health sociologists who will work collaboratively through 5 interconnected stages from drug discovery and testing to clinical trials and public engagement to develop new therapies for TB.
Please read the full story on the Ineos Oxford Institute website.