MHF TOP PICKS FOR March
Every month, we at the Mueller Health Foundation like to showcase interesting news and updates in the field of tuberculosis. Below are our top 3 picks for March:
- Gates MRI Starts Phase III Trial for Tuberculosis Vaccine
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) has dosed the first patient cohort in a Phase III clinical trial to assess the efficacy of the M72/AS01E tuberculosis vaccine candidate. The dosed cohort was enrolled in sites across South Africa. The randomised, placebo-controlled Phase III trial will evaluate the prophylactic efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the TB vaccine. The study is expected to enroll up to 20,000 participants across 60 trial sites in seven countries — South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Indonesia and Vietnam. The M72/AS01E vaccine is an adjuvanted recombinant protein vaccine that consists of a 72kDa recombinant fusion protein derived from two MTB antigens. If shown to be well-tolerated and effective, M72/AS01E could potentially become the first vaccine to help prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults, the most common form of the disease. To learn more, you can access the full article at: https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/bill–melinda-gates-medical-research-institute-initiates-phase-3-clinical-trial-of-tuberculosis-vaccine-candidate-302092392.html
- WHO Study Shows $39 Return for Each Dollar Invested in Fight against TB
The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a modelling study that examined in detail the costs and benefits of tuberculosis screening plus TB preventive treatment (TPT) in four countries – Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa. The results of the assessment show that relatively modest investments can achieve significant health and economic benefits in all four countries and provide a return of up to $39 USD for each dollar invested.
DID YOU KNOW?
This month on March 24th, 2024 the global TB community will come together to commemorate World TB Day. Here are some interesting facts:
- On March 24th, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB).
- During the late 1800s, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe
- A century later, March 24th was designated as World TB Day: a day to educate the public about the impact of TB around the world.
- TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. Each day, close to 3560 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
- Drug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis with major gaps in detection and treatment. Globally, only 2 in 5 people diagnosed with drug-resistant TB access treatment.
- More investments are needed towards supporting the rollout of TB preventive treatment options, shorter TB treatment regimens, rapid molecular diagnostics and tests for TB infection to save millions of lives. Investments in research and innovation are vital to fast-track efforts to reach the end TB targets.
- Ending TB requires concerted action by all sectors to provide the right services, support and enabling safe environment in the right place, at the right time. Poverty, inequity, under nutrition, comorbidities, discrimination, and stigma are major drivers of the TB epidemic.