The market for antituberculosis drugs and vaccines: incentives for investment in new products

Abstract

The market for antituberculosis drugs is reviewed briefly and an estimate is formed of the potential US market for a new and improved tuberculosis vaccine. By 2010, global sales of all antituberculosis drugs are expected to reach $US612–670 million annually. An urgent need for better antituberculosis drugs exists that could permit a shorter course and less frequent dosing so that tuberculosis treatment regimens could scale up more rapidly. Should a more effective tuberculosis vaccine become available, there are approximately 18 million high-risk individuals in the USA alone for whom the vaccine would be demonstrably cost-beneficial. The high-risk groups include healthcare workers, military personnel, HIV-infected individuals, migrant farm workers and prisoners.

Keywords::

• BCG
• directly observed therapy short course
• DOTS
• high-risk groups
• immunization
• market
• TB
• TB vaccine
• tuberculosis