Affordability
New TB treatments must be affordable for even the poorest patients. The TB Alliance operates as a virtual R&D organization, minimizing costs while optimizing the speed of drug development.
When selecting projects, the TB Alliance identifies promising compounds with low material costs, which can be manufactured and distributed efficiently. Every program contract includes fair pricing agreements with patent holders and project collaborators, curtailing fees and royalties. Similar agreements on manufacturing and technology transfers are geared toward obtaining the lowest production expenses. We are committed to making sure that price is never an obstacle to people in need of new cures for TB.
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Adoption
Affordability does not guarantee that new drugs will be adopted by existing TB treatment programs. Once new medicines are approved by regulatory boards, a concerted effort must be made to ensure that they are accepted and introduced for implementation by standard-setting authorities at the global, national and local levels.
The TB Alliance continually works with key international and endemic country stakeholders to ensure that our work facilitates early adoption. This includes close collaboration with national TB control programs, the WHO, the Stop TB Partnership, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The TB Alliance CEO also serves as co-chair of the Stop TB Partnership Working Group on New TB Drugs.
Substantial work is ongoing to better understand the attributes of new regimens that are most important at the country level to encourage adoption. Initial work is underway to develop roll-out strategies to support future product launches.
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Availability
Our job is not done until a faster, better cure is in the hands of those who need it most. Planning for drug delivery requires an in-depth understanding of procurement and distribution processes for TB drugs around the world, including the current DOTS program. Given the scope of the TB epidemic, we must develop strategies to overcome the inevitable hurdles and constraints faced at each level of the drug supply chain.
The TB Alliance is charting the course for the efficient distribution and uptake of new TB drugs through ongoing consultation with global and national standard-setting authorities. We have analyzed the global TB drug market, and existing drug supply chains, to better understand the path to patients, and to identify potential improvements.
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