Appeal to develop VXc-486 for tuberculosis
Advocates urge Vertex to assure the timely and responsible development of drug candidate VXc-486 for tuberculosis.
On September 15, 2015 the Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB
CAB) sent an
open letter
to Vertex appealing to the company to publicly commit to the
development of VXc-486 for TB treatment, and to collaborate with
partners in bringing this compound forward.
Findings
presented at the 2014 Annual Interscience Conference on
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy showed that VXc-486 is
potent against drug-sensitive, drug-resistant, and latent TB.
The letter expresses concern that nearly one year after these
findings were presented, development of VXc-486 for TB has not
progressed.
Therefore, the letter asks Vertex to:
- commit resources to advancing VXc-486’s preclinical development, and clinical development should the compound merit further study;
- collaborate with other TB drug developers and research consortia to make VXc-486 available for combination studies;
- create an access strategy, which includes plans for compassionate use, affordable pricing, and widespread registration, should VXc-486 enter clinical trials;
- develop research and access plans in conjunction with representatives of TB-affected communities, such as TB CAB, per the Good Participatory Practice Guidelines for TB Drug Research.
“With the urgent need for improved treatment options
for TB, we cannot afford to leave a promising compound
unstudied and inaccessible.”
The TB advocates request a teleconference for
discussing Vertex’s plans for developing VXc-486, and
expect an response to the letter by October 14, 2015.
To
download the open letter, click
here.
