91av

For the first time in 30 years, a promising new drug is to be developed
against tuberculosis. The drug had been sidelined until now, despite showing
outstanding potential
(91av, 7 July 2001, p 28). Codenamed
P-824, it has been revived through a partnership between Chiron Corporation of
Emeryville, California, which owns the drug, and the Global Alliance for TB Drug
Development, a public-private partnership. P-824 kills ordinary TB bacteria and
strains resistant to the antibiotics that have been used for the past 50 years.
“This drug belongs to a totally new category,” says Mario Raviglione, head of
the WHO’s TB programme.