TB Alliance and University of Illinois at Chicago
Collaborate to Develop New
Macrolides for TB
NEW YORK, NY, OCT 20,
2004 – The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), a
public-private partnership developing faster-acting and affordable tuberculosis
(TB) medicines, announced the launch of a new two-year research program to
develop macrolides for TB therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
College of Pharmacy.
“Identifying the most promising known antibiotics and optimizing them for TB
activity is one element of our multi-faceted strategy to expand the TB drug
pipeline,” said Dr. Mel Spigelman, R&D Director of the TB Alliance. “We
look forward to important new potential compounds from an attractive drug class
like the macrolides.”
The macrolide class stands out among existing antibiotics with significant
potential to yield a TB drug due to its excellent pharmacological features and
its promising antibacterial activity against M. tuberculosis, as
demonstrated by the team of scientists at UIC’s Institute for Tuberculosis
Research. The primary goal of this project is to optimize the anti-TB
activity of macrolide antibiotics through the synthesis of additional chemically
modified erythromycin derivatives.
“We have explored macrolides’ potential for TB in recent years, but now we can
devote the medicinal chemistry, microbiology and pharmacology necessary to
identify the best candidate,” said Dr. Scott Franzblau, Director of the
Institute for Tuberculosis Research and Principal Investigator. “Without
the support of the TB Alliance, our discovery would have ended with a
peer-reviewed publication; instead, we can now envision a new drug for TB.”
In a two-year sponsored research agreement, Dr. Franzblau and his team at the
Institute for Tuberculosis Research will synthesize and optimize macrolide
derivatives for the TB indication with verification of in vitro activity
against clinical isolates at Ramathibodhi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.
Erythromycin is a good foundation for this project since it is an affordable
starting material and could pave the way to engineer new, low-cost TB drugs.
“An excellent drug class, macrolides have been optimized extensively for the
treatment of respiratory tract infections and now, for the first time in
history, we will be able to optimize macrolides for the treatment of
tuberculosis,” said Dr. Zhenkun Ma, Head of Research, TB Alliance.
Current antibiotics used in TB treatment are based on research conducted over 30
years ago, and the most potent drug, rifampicin, was introduced in 1965.
According to recent estimates published by the Infectious Disease Society of
America, today’s global pipeline of antibiotics amounts to only five compounds
in clinical development, out of a total of 506 potential new drugs for all
indications.
Since its 2000 launch, the TB Alliance has developed a portfolio of promising
anti-TB compounds, the first most comprehensive TB drug pipeline since the 1960s
with support from foundations, governments, research institutes and patients and
healthcare workers worldwide.
About the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development:
The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) leads a collaborative, non-profit effort joining public and private sectors to accelerate and ensure the development of faster-acting, affordable drugs to fight tuberculosis. In addition to managing a pipeline of promising drug candidates with partners around the world, the TB Alliance aims to ensure the equitable access to a faster tuberculosis cure that will advance global health and prosperity. Donors include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation, among others. For more information, visit www.tballiance.org.
About the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Tuberculosis Research:
The UIC Institute for Tuberculosis Research (ITR) is a major research component of the UIC College of Pharmacy. ITR focuses on the discovery, development and evaluation of new therapeutics for TB that may prove practical and affordable in developing countries. ITR’s comprehensive approach includes collaborative efforts with public and private institutions as well as within UIC.