STUDY NEWS
Sponsor team visits Mozambique for site evaluation
The Sponsor team visited Dr. Celso Khosa and team at the Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS) site in Mozambique on 25 and 26 May 2023. The purpose of the visit was to perform a full site evaluation, as well as getting a better understanding of their processes around regulatory authorities, importation, and procurement.
It was exciting for the team to tour CISPOC (administrative site) site as well as the Machava and Mavalane satellite sites where participants will be screened and followed up for their protocol visits. The INS lab and TB laboratory facilities were also part of the tour, and this was very nicely set-up. The team was deeply encouraged by the enthusiasm of the site staff and are looking forward to starting the study at the INS site.
Prof Wallis speaks at SMA-TB 2023 AGM
Prof Robert Wallis was an invited speaker at the annual meeting of SMA-TB taking place in the week of the 26 June 2023, a project studying aspirin and ibuprofen as host-directed TB therapies. SMA-TB and DRTB-HDT are the two TB-related studies selected by Horizon 2020 in response to a call for host-directed therapies of difficult to treat infectious diseases of importance to Europe.
The conference will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, where the Georgian National Center for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases is located. The Center is the sole clinical site participating in both projects. After the conference, Prof Wallis will travel to Munich and Chisinau to meet with DRTB-HDT consortium members and to discuss project activities.
Annual Consortium Meeting
Our next consortium meeting is coming up on the 21st and 22nd of September in Gqeberha previously known as Port Elizabeth. There will be a chance to visit the WITS clinical site and we will be able to reflect on the past and future of the project with an ocean view.
DRTB-HDT Periodic Report
On the 14th of June, the European Commission accepted our latest periodic report which was submitted at the end of March. The periodic report gives an overview of our work during the past 18 Months and this one was filled with the deliverables and milestones we have reached together. Now that this step has been completed, we can start the conversation with the European Commission regarding an extension of the project.
Study Milestones
All sites have received their ethics and regulatory approvals and pending SIV of INS site in Mozambique and CHRU Durban in South Africa.
MEET CONSORTIUM MEMBERS
Headed by Professor Annelies Van Rie, the Tuberculosis Omics Research (TORCH) group at the University of Antwerp (UA) leads Work Package 6 of the DRTB-HDT project. The TORCH team, in close collaboration with Stellenbosch University, brings extensive expertise in mycobacteriology, whole genome sequencing (WGS), and drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB).
Prof. Annelies Van Rie, a physician-scientist, epidemiologist, and public health specialist, has been at the forefront of TB and HIV research in resource-limited settings. With a wealth of experience in clinical, epidemiological, implementation, and translational research, she translates her knowledge into impactful practices.
Dr Anzaan Dippenaar, a senior scientist at UA, brings over a decade of experience in molecular biology and TB research. Her focus lies in investigating the microevolution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and drug resistance mechanisms, employing next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics for critical insights.
Miguel de Diego Fuertes is an accomplished Research Assistant and Bioinformatician from Spain. Miguel’s master’s education at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, specializing in genetics, bioinformatics, and computational biology, equips him with the necessary skills to perform sophisticated WGS analysis and bioinformatics.
His expertise contributes to excluding the impact of drug resistance as a confounding effect on TB treatment outcomes in the context of the DRTB-HDT study. Beyond their professional pursuits, the team finds joy in the culinary arts, recognizing the parallels between science and the creative precision required in the kitchen.
Consortium members are encouraged to share articles, activities and events with the Secretariat to be featured in this monthly update newsletter.