The European Union Framework Programme (FP-6) on Tuberculosis which concluded on a positive note with the team of international researchers having identified a couple of candidates showing ample promise for drug development. The consortium represents scientists from Switzerland, Italy, United States and India who have now put forth recommendation for additional funding of around Euro 2.5 million for the three-year research period spanning between 2011 and 2014 to carry out the advanced study based on the identified possible drug candidates.

From India, it was professsor K Muniyappa, professor, Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science contributed to the TB research.

The EU funding of Euro 1 million was granted under FP-6 for 2007 to 2010. Since the research on Mycobacterium TB has been going on for several years and medico scientific teams have found it difficult to eradicate the disease, the consortium’s objective has been to identify an effective drug to tackle the bacteria and identify scientists from across the world who are working on different approaches in TB research, professor Muniyappa told Pharmabiz.

The concluded research has been a coordinated and inter disciplinary effort ensuring that none of the tasks carried out by the scientists from the four countries were repetitive. While the UK scientists were engaged in the study of TB infection in animal models, Italy team carried out large scale screening of candidates, Switzerland researchers focused on drug resistant strains. “From India, we put forth our expertise in molecular biology and genetics. In the next phase of the project, the consortium will concentrate on advanced research with the identified candidates,” he added.

Professor Muniyappa’s lab which has been engaged in TB research since 1992, has been recognized as the Centre of Excellence for TB research by the Department of Biotechnology. It has received a fund assistance of Rs 2 crore for undertaking research on TB from 2008 to 2011. Welcome Trust too had chipped in Rs 1.5 crore between 1999 and 2003. The international research effort will be continued with the DBT grant till EU sanctions the funds, he said.

Commenting on the scene for TB research, professor Muniyappa said that several groups globally and in India were working on the drug development. The disease has serious ramification on the global population because it affects a productive population aged between 15 and 40 years. There is also the synergy of TB and HIV and the problem of multi-drug resistance (MDR) strains. With the growing mobility in population, the TB bacteria transmission is high and there is no effective antibiotic since Rifampicin’s launch in 1962. There is a greater need for a new drug along with awareness of the disease control. Being a disease of the developing world, TB affects patients in the lower socio economic strata because of poor hygiene and squalor living conditions.

However, the TB genome sequence identified in 1998 has now helped the research to grow at a phenomenal pace. However, genome sequence has still not resulted in the development of drug but has helped to understand the biology of the organism in considerable detail, said professor Muniyappa.

The challenge is to find a drug for TB. The governments must also improve the hygiene and sanitation levels on a war footing because a drug alone cannot eradicate TB, he said.