Under the collaboration, the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) and the TB Alliance will share information on new and ongoing tuberculosis (TB) drug discovery projects. The agreement clears the pathway for future collaborative development of novel antibiotic compounds.
The partnership is said to be a milestone toward the development of faster TB drug regimens that treat all forms of TB, are easier for patients to complete, and can be used safely in patients with HIV/AIDS.
The new collaboration is expected to support the overall mission of both the NITD and the TB Alliance, as they are committed to improving access to medicines and helping reduce the overall global TB disease burden.
Jerome Premmereur, president and CEO of the TB Alliance, said: “We are confident our collaboration with NITD will not only produce promising anti-TB drug candidates, but will serve as an industry model in combining resources, expertise and willpower to tackle one of the greatest public health threats of our time.”