UNITAID technical report: Tuberculosis diagnostics technology and market landscape

The report reviews the landscape of TB diagnostics - considering current and expected future technologies, as well as critical market issues, highlighting potential market-based approaches to address shortcomings and improve market function.

The UNITAID Tuberculosis Diagnostics Landscape is published as part of a broad and on-going effort to understand the technology landscape for TB diagnostics. The first edition of the UNITAID Tuberculosis Diagnostics Technology Landscape (July 2012) outlined established TB diagnostic technologies, including smear microscopy and culture, as well as emerging tools, such as NAAT. The UNITAID Tuberculosis Diagnostics Technology Landscape: Semi-annual Update (December 2012) focused on GeneXpert® MTB/RIF and four of the most advanced NAAT products.

These reports are available at: http://www.unitaid.eu/resources/publications/technical-reports.

This report is intended to complement these earlier reports, stimulating discussion and informing potential opportunities for market intervention that could improve access to TB diagnostics, and, ultimately, public health outcomes related to TB.

To serve this purpose, this report:

• Reviews the public health problem of TB, and critical access issues related to TB diagnostics;

• Assesses the technology landscape, including Xpert® MTB/RIF evidence, roll-out, and future plans, as well as newer NAAT technologies and technology-related information gaps hindering market entry;

• Analyses the market landscape, providing a high-level overview of efforts to characterize the market for TB diagnostics and a review of market approaches to improve access to WHO-endorsed tools in the private sector; and

• Summarizes market shortcomings related to TB diagnostics, providing the context for next steps and areas of potential intervention.

You can download the report from here.

Source: UNITAID