What are the health needs and challenges?

The current six-to eight-month standard therapy for tuberculosis (TB) is based on four drugs that were discovered more than 30 years ago and often have to be administered under the direct supervision of healthcare professionals. The long period makes consistent treatment more difficult to achieve, and the number of resistant strains of bacteria is therefore increasing. The available medicines are not effective against the multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) caused by resistant bacteria.

Partnership activities and how they address needs and challenges

In 2011 Bayer agreed with the World Health Organization (WHO) to support countries in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with moxifloxacin, a well-known antibiotic for the treatment of acute respiratory infection as well as other infections with an established safety record.

The collaboration with the WHO includes the involvement in a program designed to support increased access to quality-assured second-line anti-tuberculosis which targets to increase treatment success against MDR-TB and thereby could also reduce the likelihood for further resistance development to anti tuberculosis drug.

STOP TB partnership of the WHO makes moxifloxacin available to MDR TB patients in need under specifically defined conditions of treatment programs authorized by the STOP-TB Partnership in collaboration with national TB treatment programs.