New consortium to coordinate TB vaccine

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The TB Vaccine Consortium of South Africa (TBVaC-SA) is a group of academics and other stakeholders in TB vaccine development. It is envisaged that it will play a leading role in the promotion of TB vaccine research in South Africa and internationally. Strategic alignment with other organisations with a TB vaccine research agenda and a close relationship with the Department of Science and Technology will be a priority.

The consortium's strategic objectives are to:

• conduct multicentre TB vaccine clinical trials
  
• build sustainable capacity for TB vaccine development
  
• use innovative clinical trial design for efficient vaccine testing to address pathogenesis
  
• advocate for TB vaccine research

Members

These organisations have joined TBVaC-SA:

• Right to Care
  
• University of Stellenbosch
  
• Aeras
  
• University of Witwatersrand-SAGE
  
• Vaccines for Africa
  
• University of Cape Town
  
• Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative
  
• Department of Science and Technology
  
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  
• European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Strategic Evaluation
  
• Advisory & Development Consulting

The only available vaccine is the Bacilli Calmetter-Guérin (BCG) that became available in 1921. Whilst BCG is the most widely used vaccine in the world, it has not successfully eliminated the disease due to its limited efficacy. New vaccines are central to eliminating TB that has become increasingly drug-resistant.

Meet today at TB conference

TBVaC-SA invites organisations and individuals to join it in its move towards developing a sustainable strategy for TB vaccine development for South Africa. TBVaC-SA would like to meet potential members at the 4th SA TB Conference opening today, 10 June 2014 at the ICC in Durban. The conference runs until Friday 13 June 2014.