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UNITE4TB representation at TB-focused webinar
On Wednesday 9 March, a TB-focused webinar was organized for partners of the AMR Accelerator. The session started with an update from UNITE4TB, presented by Michael Hoelscher, Scientific Coordinator of UNITE4TB and Director of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases at LMU, University of Munich.
Close to 60 AMR Accelerator partners joined the webinar, during which updates were also given on the ERA4TB and TRIC-TB projects.
UNITE4TB update
Launched in mid-2021, UNITE4TB is the youngest of the TB-focused projects under the AMR Accelerator – the so-called “new kid on the block”. The project is focused on clinical development with the objective of accelerating and improving the clinical evaluation of novel drugs and combinations of drugs for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB.
“The past has shown that regimen development is a lengthy process,” said Michael Hoelscher. “It's like developing cars: it’s not a revolution but an evolution. At UNITE4TB, we’re trying to find how different drugs work and fit together. We're working to improve the regimen development process, with a focus on rigorous phase II testing using novel trial designs and biomarkers.
“Our idea is to build a platform through which we can test and evaluate our assets: a single platform for multiple purposes, which we refer to as our racetrack concept. We hope to be able to economize the clinical trial process and make it more efficient and less expensive.”
UNITE4TB has divided its work into two key blocks: (1) regimen building and selection and (2) duration optimization. The team is currently working to select 20 priority sites for clinical trials, chosen from a global network of over 40 trial sites. “By establishing a global clinical trial network, we hope to be able to quickly move from phase II to phase III trials,” said Hoelscher.
“Our ultimate goal is to set a new standard for anti-TB regimen development, upgrading clinical trial methodology, and enhancing the efficiency with which new TB regimens are delivered to the world.”
For more information on the AMR Accelerator and our role in the IMI-funded program, follow this link.
And in case you missed it, take a look at this interview with UNITE4TB coordinator Martin Boeree, who outlines the key objectives of the project and how work progressed in the first half-year of the project.