The CPTR Initiative continues to demonstrate its value and role in accelerating the development of new TB regimens and drug susceptibility testing (DST), as well as tools to help drive and focus research efforts. Various CPTR members and TB stakeholders reflect on the breadth and value of CPTR and its annual Workshop.
The 8th Annual CPTR Initiative Workshop drew more than 150 participants to Washington, D.C. to learn and share information critical to the rapid advancement of new TB combination therapies, drug susceptibility tests (DST), and the tools and models necessary to develop and implement them. Participants represented a diverse group of global stakeholders, including product developers, regulators, health systems workers, and TB survivors and patient advocates.
Achievements from CPTR programs were shared with attendees, highlighting innovative work made possible through CPTR collaborations, including TB-PACTS, TB-ReFLECT, ReSeqTB, and the Hollow Fiber System Model for TB (HFS-TB). Progress was presented on drug and drug regimen candidates, DST development and strategy, and dynamics relating to product approval and introduction. The Workshop’s interactive format continued to stress the importance of partnership, while powerful stories from TB survivors reinforced the vital role CPTR plays in TB drug regimen and DST development, and the urgent need for new TB products.
Mark Harrington opened the Workshop with a keynote address both acknowledging the progress in TB research and highlighting the need for more and accelerated breakthroughs. Harrington noted the resource challenges facing the field, which underscore the need for the efficiencies and collaborative approaches fostered by CPTR, a key message reflected throughout the Workshop.
The four-day program covered topics spanning the full scope of the CPTR initiative. Among the content featured were sessions on CPTR drug and DST development tools. Breakout demonstration sessions provided attendees with an even deeper understanding of the workings and capabilities of the ReSeqTB database, the Physiologically-based Pharmacokinetic Model and QT Prolongation Algorithm, and the Time-to-Positivity (TTP) Modeling Tool. Information-rich staples of the annual event, such as the Drug Development Roundtable, and DST development updates were supplemented by an increased focus on patient advocate perspectives and regulatory engagement, including a patient roundtable session, and a lengthy interview session with Ed Cox and Richard Pazdur of the FDA. Sessions concluded with robust question and answer exchanges, illustrating the community-driven dynamic of CPTR and the embrace of open communication to drive progress.
Full summaries of each session, along with video recordings of presentations and downloadable slides can be found in the daily program summaries below:
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
Breakout and Demo Sessions