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DISEASE INFORMATION

Tuberculosis

We are working on a more effective treatment for one of the leading causes of infectious deaths worldwide

OVERVIEW

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an infection that primarily affects the lungs, but can disseminate to any part of the body, such as the kidney, spine and brain. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Despite being both a preventable and curable disease, it is the leading cause of infectious death worldwide. While tuberculosis can be found anywhere in the world, most people who contract tuberculosis are in low- and middle-income countries.

THE STATS

Why are we targeting this disease?

10M

people (est.) diagnosed with TB disease in 2019

1M+

children diagnosed in 2019

Source:

World Health Organization. WHO Tuberculosis fact sheet.

1.4M

people died of TB in 2019

INFOGRAPHIC

Transmission stages of Onchocerca volvulus

WHAT we're DOING

Dovramilast (previously known as CC-11050 or AMG 634)

Current treatment regimens for tuberculosis require patients to undergo daily multidrug treatment for up to two years, in the worst-case scenario. While effective, the complexity of the treatment along with social factors (such as accessibility) can lead to poor compliance, drug resistance and treatment failure. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis remains a public health emergency: of the 10 million new cases in 2019, over 200,000 were multidrug-resistant.

Most people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not develop symptoms. People with weakened immune systems are at much higher risk of developing serious disease. While some antibacterial strategies are effective against tuberculosis, there are few immunomodulatory treatments – that is, those that modify the body’s immune response.

Dovramilast is a selective inhibitor of the enzyme PDE4 found in monocytes and macrophages and other cells of the innate immune response. PDE4 inhibitors are immunomodulators that down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory factors and up-regulate the anti-inflammatory interleukin-10.

We are investigating the potential for Dovramilast in the treatment of tuberculosis in a Phase 2b clinical trial sponsored by the Aurum Institute, having completed proof of concept in a Phase 2a study sponsored by the Aurum Institute and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

pipeline

Moxidectin project websites

Moxidectin icon showing 3 blue tablets

Moxidectin for accelerating onchocerciasis elimination

A paediatric dose-finding study, a phase 3b trial comparing efficacy and safety of annual and biannual moxidectin or ivermectin treatment and mathematical modelling of moxidectin and ivermectin based elimination strategies to support country policy decisions.

SEE PROJECT INFORMATION
Moxidectin icon showing 3 blue tablets

Treatment for all

Developing a paediatric formulation moxidectin for neglected infectious diseases.

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Help us treat this disease

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Take a look at the research and development work

Disease areas

Primarily affecting the lungs, tuberculosis remains the leading cause of infectious death worldwide.

Tuberculosis

A debilitating and disfiguring disease found in 31 African countries and beyond.

River blindness

An infectious skin condition affecting more than 200 million people at any one time.

Scabies

A painful and debilitating disease of the lymph system affecting over 50 million people at any one time.

Lymphatic filariasis

A soil-transmitted infection affecting up to 100 million people, particularly children.

Strongyloidiasis

A chronic infectious disease which may cause skin lesions and nerve damage found in 127 countries.

Leprosy

Among the most common of all infections with an estimated 1.5 billion people infected worldwide.

Soil-transmitted helminth infections