The last few years have seen unprecedented progress in shortening the treatment for both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis. Several new drugs and regimens have been discovered (or repurposed) for improved treatment, but they roll out without companion diagnostic tools, which may jeopardize the efficacy of these regimens in the long run. There are still many unanswered questions that have not been adequately addressed and weak evidence to support them.
Educational aims
The webinar aims to create an open space for discussion on the progress of shorter treatment regimes for TB, whilst providing a space for reflection on the current evidence gap, as well as the future possibilities in this field.
Topics
- New Drugs and Regimens for Improved TB treatment;
- Pros and Cons of Waiting for Diagnostic Tools;
- Global access of new regimens and drugs can save lives;
- Risk of generating added resistance from inadequate regimens;
- Need for molecular tools for comprehensive testing for drug resistance surveillance;
- Gaps in Evidence.
Format
Webinar will be divided into 2 parts (of approximately 30 mins. each):
- For the first 30 minutes, the speakers Daniela Cirillo and Richard Menzies will debate the pros and cons of rolling out new drugs and treatment regimens for TB without diagnostic capacities.
- The second half of the webinar will be filled with an open discussion, moderated by Raquel Duarte and Cristoph Lange, giving the opportunity to the participants of sharing perspectives on the topics presented and/or posing questions to the speaker.
Learning outcomes
Following this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the risks associated with the implementation of new drugs and regimens in TB treatment without these being accompanied by diagnostic tools.
- Comprehend the need for the implementation of new, more effective and safer drugs and regimens at a global level.
- Evaluate the evidence underpinning the shortening of TB treatment.
- Describe the gaps in the evidence and remaining questions regarding further shortening of TB treatment.
CME credit
An application for accreditation of this webinar has been made to the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) for 1 CME credit per 1-hour attendance. If accredited, the CME credit will be granted upon attendance of at least 60 minutes during the live webinar only.
What is a webinar?
A webinar closely simulates a lecture-based teaching experience. The speaker can interact with the audience, just as in a classroom setting. During the webinar, you will be asked to share your opinion on issues related to the topic using interactive polls.
All participants will be able to hear the lecturer and see the slides throughout the presentation. As a participant you will be able to pose questions or discuss ideas with the other participants via the text chat facility and the speaker will respond to the questions via the microphone.
Login guidelines
More information will be communicated in due course.
- Please log in to the webinar 20 minutes before it is scheduled to commence. If you have any technical difficulties whilst trying to log in or during the session please contact e-learning@ersnet.org.
- Check Central European Time.
- To achieve the best quality, we recommend to avoid downloading anything from the internet during your connection to the lecture and stopping all other programmes.
- Please also ensure that your audio settings are not set to mute and adjust the volume to a comfortable level.
About UNITE4TB
UNITE4TB is a public-private partnership with representation from academic institutions, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), public organisations, and pharmaceutical companies. The 7-year, €185 million project aims to accelerate and improve the clinical evaluation of combinations of existing and novel drugs, with the goal of developing new and highly active Tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimens for drug-resistant and -sensitive TB. For more information, visit the consortium website: www.unite4TB.org
Funding
The UNITE4TB project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 101007873. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung e. V. (DZIF), and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). EFPIA/AP contribute to 50% of funding, whereas the contribution of DZIF and the LMU University Hospital Munich has been granted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. For further information: www.imi.europa.eu
Disclaimer
This communication reflects the author’s view. Neither IMI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or any Associated Partners are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
