World TB Day was on 24th March, 2007.
The current incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis are severely straining the capacity of some National Tuberculosis Control Programmes to successfully administer the WHO recommended standard 6-month regimen.
There is general agreement that, if treatment duration can be further reduced, this would increase the rates of treatment completion. This would have the added advantage of reducing relapse rates and, possibly, adverse events as well.
With the development of new drugs by some pharmaceutical companies, reduction in treatment durations may become possible in the next 20 years. However, there is also some evidence that treatment duration could be shortened with improved use of some of the drugs currently used in standard practice.
INTERTB organised a one-day meeting to discuss both these aspects (adgenda and presentation download below).
The objectives of the meeting were :
The meeting was be held at St. George's,
University of London, on Thursday 22nd March, 2007. See the report in the Lancet
(full article) ,
May 2007 by Sally Hargreaves in the Lancet NewsDesk
London World TB Day meeting agenda in brief as a pdf | ||
First morning session: | ||
Introduction: | Chair Baroness Elaine Murphy | 09h00-09h10 |
Welcome and introductions | Baroness Elaine Murphy | 09h10-09h20 |
Tuberculosis: the problem | Dr Katherine Floyd | 09h20-09h30 |
Treating tuberculosis: Old and New drugs | Prof Denis Mitchison | 09h30-09h45 |
The Challenges of Phase III Trials | Prof Andrew Nunn | 09h45-09h55 |
Overview of funding Phase III trials | Dr Tom Harrison | 09h55-10h10 |
Discussion | 10h10-10h35 | |
Coffee break followed by Second morning session: | ||
The UK effort: | Chair Prof. George Griffin | 10h35-10h45 |
Fluoroquinolones: the Oflotub Trial | Prof Denis Mitchison | 10h45-11h00 |
Fluoroquinolones: the Remox Trial | Prof Stephen Gillespie | 11h00-11h20 |
Rifamycins: The Rifaquin Trial | Dr Amina Jindani | 11h20-11h40 |
Rifamycins: Trials with rifabutin | Dr Bertel Squire | 11h40 -12h00 |
HIV/TB Drug interactions | Dr Saye Khoo | 12h00-12h15 |
The role of NGOs | Dr Phillippe Guérin | 12h15-12h30 |
Discussion | 12h30-13h30 | |
LUNCH followed by Afternoon session: | ||
Novel strategies: | Chair Prof. Anthony Coates | 13h30-13h40 |
Introductory remarks | Prof Anthony Coates | 13h40-14h00 |
Modelling and novel phase II designs | Dr Geraint Davies | 14h00-14h15 |
The transition to shortening treatment | Prof Denis Mitchison | 14h15-14h30 |
Novel strategies for assessing rifamycin resistance and treatment response | Dr Carlton Evans | 14h30-15h00 |
Discussion: What to do now and in the future Co-Moderators | Prof Denis Mitchison & Dr Tom Harrison |
For further information please contact Dr. Amina Jindani