Gates-backed study of faster tuberculosis drug treatments kicks off in South Africa
An important test of new drugs that aim to treat tuberculosis infections more efficiently has begun in South Africa.
The Phase II clinical trial, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, will test five different antibacterial compounds across two new drug regimens in a bid to find a combo that shortens treatment times.
Tuberculosis is the biggest infectious disease killer in the world, with roughly 10.6 million new cases and 1.6 million deaths reported in the most recent count in 2021. The current treatment typically requires grueling six-month courses of multiple antibiotics and has seen little change in nearly half a century.
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