Joining forces against the new wave of tuberculosis

Once thought a disease of the past, tuberculosis is again becoming an international health threat. HIV-related resistance, rapidly increasing travel and migration, drug shortages and failure of patients and doctors to adhere to treatment schedules, are contributing to the spread of this deadly infectious disease.

Last week at a symposium sponsored by Sandoz and Novartis in Barcelona, experts from around the world came together to address the challenges of stopping the disease, which today kills one person every 15 seconds - more than malaria or HIV/AIDs.

The challenge is immense. One third of the world's population is infected, although only one in 10 develops the full-blown disease. Left untreated, it kills more than half its victims.

But tuberculosis can usually be cured - and much can be done to prevent the disease spreading in the first place. The Barcelona symposium focused on global control measures, increasing awareness, encouraging early diagnosis and ensuring correct prescription and use of the right combination of products. The event featured key speakers Dr. Nils Billo, Executive Director at the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, and Klaus Leisinger, President and CEO of the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development.

"Tuberculosis kills one person every 15 seconds", WHO statistic

Sandoz and Novartis have long been committed partners in all aspects of global tuberculosis control. In addition to sponsorship of such symposia and the India-based "Joint Efforts to Eradicate Tuberculosis" (JEET) project, Sandoz is a leading supplier of tuberculosis medicines. It also supports patient compliance by providing global access to the four leading first-line drugs in fixed dose combinations, which conform with all WHO guidelines. Today Sandoz has modern manufacturing facilities in South Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan and India, and is the only company that has invested in a multi-center, multiethnic and multinational clinical trial to ensure bioequivalence with the reference products.

Novartis participates in the global "Stop TB Partnership" by donating tuberculosis drugs free of charge to half a million patients over a five-year period, in line with WHO guidelines. It is also playing a leading role in the search for new anti-tuberculosis drugs through the Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases (NITD)  in Singapore.

Similarly, the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development  works closely with the tuberculosis program in Tanzania, one of the most affected countries, to improve access to treatment. In 2006, the program introduced a new approach known as patient-centered treatment, which allows patients to choose whether to be treated at home or at a health facility. The Foundation also supports a social marketing campaign in Tanzania.

Learn more about the Sandoz commitment to fighting Tuberculosis ›

Read more about the Sandoz International TB symposium ›