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Tuberculosis, a neglected opportunity?

Nature Medicine volume 13, pages 309–312 (2007)Cite this article

Historically, tuberculosis (TB) has fallen firmly in the group of 'neglected diseases'—diseases in which pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to invest due to a perception of low commercial potential. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.7 million deaths resulted in 2004 from TB, and the global prevalence of TB was 14.6 million1. However, more than 80% of people with TB live in sub-Saharan Africa or Asia2, where spending on healthcare is low and access to drugs is limited. Owing to the low commercial interest in treating TB, no new drug class has been introduced for over 30 years. The current market is dominated by generic products. Relatively few international drug manufacturers market TB therapies; exceptions are Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer and Sandoz (Novartis's generics division). However, over the past 10–15 years, several factors have emerged, which are contributing to increased research and development (R&D) activity in TB treatment.

The prevalence of TB grew significantly in the late 1980s and 1990s, driven by cases in sub-Saharan Africa, but also by a resurgence in both the US and Europe, where TB had been considered an eradicated disease. The WHO identified TB as a global health emergency in 1993 and launched the Global Plan to Stop TB, which focused on early TB diagnosis and reliable access to treatment.

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Figure 1

Simon Fenwick

Figure 2: Incidence of tuberculosis, 1990–2004.

Simon Fenwick

Figure 3

Simon Fenwick

References

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  1. Claire Harper is at Wood Mackenzie, Kintore House, 74–77 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4NS, UK. claire.harper@woodmac.com,

    Claire Harper

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Harper, C. Tuberculosis, a neglected opportunity?. Nat Med 13, 309–312 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0307-309

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