EDCTP’s video highlights the work of PredictTB: Tuberculosis - one step further

The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) recently published a video highlighting the work of three of its tuberculosis (TB) projects, including PredictTB.

Apart from PredictTB, which aims to assess new diagnostics for shortened TB therapy, PanACEA and POR-TB were highlighted in the video. PanACEA aims to develop new drugs to shorten TB treatment, and POR-TB Trial aims to find new vaccines for TB prevention.

Worldwide, TB is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause from a single infectious agent (above HIV/AIDS). In 2018, an estimated 10 million people around the globe fell ill with TB. While TB remains a major global health issue, the vast majority of TB cases can be cured when medicines are provided and taken properly.

Eradicating TB is possible, but would take a huge effort, according to Prof Gerhard Walzl. The Coordinator of PredictTB from Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, says in the video: “I think [that eradicating TB] would be the biggest medical achievement since the eradication of smallpox.”

Shortening the TB treatment could both increase treatment compliance and cure rate, and lead to fewer cases of drug-resistant TB. In the video, Prof Gerhard Walzl explains why the world needs much simpler and shorter regiments to fight TB and how PredictTB’s research can help shorten standard TB treatment from six to four months.

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