New initiative aims to drive forward clinical trial research for MDR TB

At the annual TB Union Conference held in Cape Town in November 2007, a number of actors, concerned by the continuing lack of sufficient research activity to tackle drug-resistant TB, decided to launch a new initiative.

The first fruit was a workshop held in Boston, USA in June 2008 on drug resistant TB that brought together representatives from National Treatment Programmes from countries with high burden MDR TB, NGOs, activist groups, scientists and researchers, pharmaceutical industry and representatives from regulating agencies and funders.

The participants decided to set up a new entity, focusing initially on the development of a proposal to move forward in the conduct of MDR TB clinical trials. The group also issued a manifesto, The Cambridge Declaration, outlining their aims.

These include the conduct of the most important priority trials to test strategies that will shorten and improve treatment for drug-resistant TB. As well, the group takes as its remit to mobilise the resources for these trials and to build the capacity of clinical trial sites.

Find out more about the activities of the DR-TB trials Working-Group

PLoS series on MDR TB clinical trials