A chemist based at the University of Copenhagen has just taken out a patent for a drug that can make previously multidrug-resistant bacteria once again responsive to antibiotics.

February 17 - Lesotho/Geneva - Lesotho has become one of the first Low Middle Income Countries from the African region to be able to make a transition into self-financing, for the procurement of adult first line drugs for tuberculosis without further dependence on a grant from the Global Drug Facility.

A new report, "Models of care for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis" has just been published. Representatives from the Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation and Uzbekistan presented their best practices as published in the "Best practices in prevention, control and care for drug-resistant tuberculosis".

A large-scale survey of South African healthcare workers has revealed major gaps in workplace protection against tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis, according to a University of British Columbia health researcher.

Proteases are vital proteins that serve for order within cells. They break apart other proteins, ensuring that these are properly synthesized and decomposed. Proteases are also responsible for the pathogenic effects of many kinds of bacteria. Now chemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have discovered two hitherto unknown mechanisms of action that can be used to permanently disarm an important bacterial protease.

Allayed by pledges that India’s strict new rules for clinical trials will be eased, a few principal investigators funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) are cautiously restarting studies there. Clarifications on the rules by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), and a promise to soften others, have allowed a small number of researchers to return to their work.

South Africa has one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates in the world, with 993 people out of 100 000 living with the disease. This is according to the latest South Africa Survey, published by the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) in Johannesburg last week.

Community groups express concern for AstraZeneca's departure from tuberculosis and urge the company to ensure continued investment in the field.

People being treated for tuberculosis achieved virologic and CD4 responses to antiretroviral therapy (ART) similar to people not being treated for TB, according to results of a 25-study systematic review and meta-analysis.

SURABAYA (February 11, 2014) – In an ongoing effort to prevent and control infectious disease outbreaks globally, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), a leading global medical technology company, announced today a collaboration to strengthen Indonesia’s national reference laboratory systems. This new private/public partnership supports the National Tuberculosis (TB) Program (NTP), and will aim to improve and expand quality laboratory services. In particular, the collaboration will emphasize the early detection of TB cases, as well as monitoring and treatment services.