2 Feb 2012
okklo life sciences is entering a collaboration with UMC Radboud (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) for the development of novel therapeutic approaches against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MRD-TB).
Resistance against treatment with antibiotics is increasingly common in many infectious diseases, and this also is a serious health issue concern with respect to tuberculosis. For this pathogen, there are even strains that have found to be totally resistant against all known antibiotic drugs (XDR).
In collaboration with Dick van Soolingen, Professor of Translational Tuberculosis Research, and Dr Martin Boeree, pulmonologist and clinical tuberculosis expert at the UMC Radboud Dekkerswald Centre for Chronic Diseases, okklo life sciences will be investigating the use of know drugs that have been used for other indications for their activity against Mycobacterum tuberculosis. In particular, they will be looking into combinations with cyclodextrins, since these combinations have some important potential benefits.
With the combined expertise and experience of the tuberculosis team at the University of Nijmegen and okklo’s track record in successful development of CDs for clinical application, this collaboration may become a successful starting point for drug repositioning and the development of novel therapies for the increasingly important (global) problem of MDR-TB.