TB Alliance and Mylan enter global collaboration on TB

Non-profit drug developer TB Alliance and Netherlands-headquartered Mylan (Nasdaq: MYL) today announced a global collaboration to make the experimental drug pretomanid accessible for use in two investigational drug regimens for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant- (XDR) TB are forms of the disease caused by bacteria that do not respond to first-line anti-TB drugs. Current treatments, therefore, consist of combinations of many different drugs, which may need to be taken for up to two years. Patients may take as many as 20 pills a day, resulting in numerous side-effects and often creating a significant economic burden. Drug sensitive (DS) TB treatment, which consists of treatment with up to four drugs daily for six to nine months, has traditionally fared better with a global treatment success rate of approximately 82%; however, rising rates of resistance are complicating treatment and necessitating different options.

"The TB drug pipeline is showing significant promise as we progress in our goal to provide transformative benefit to people with TB," said Mel Spigelman, president and chief executive of TB Alliance. "We are determined to take steps now to ensure that pretomanid, if approved, will be able to reach patients in need as part of an appropriate treatment regimen."