These are TB strains that do not respond or are resistant to drugs. Of course, the best method of avoiding the transmission of these strains is prevention.
Lilly's total commitment to fighting this disease now totals $120 million, which began in 2003. The company's latest $50 million investment toward the "critical battle" is being made in conjunction with World TB Day, March 24.
Lilly's funding supports several strategies in the fight against MDR-TB: (1) increasing effective drug supplies and availability, (2) training health care personnel and (3) global prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that this highly contagious disease is a growing, global threat to public health.
Those already infected with the MDR-TB form will also end up infecting 20 other people in their lifetime, according to Lilly's website.
Lilly's MDR-TB Partnership is international and includes 14 public and private organizations.
"Eli Lilly and Company understands its role in the global battle against MDR-TB and recognizes its responsibility to those afflicted by this deadly disease," said Lilly's Chairman and CEO, Sidney Taurel.
"These additional funds will extend our commitment to transferring the technologies and improving the support systems needed to stop the spread of MDR-TB," added Taurel.
According to Lilly's data, "When drugs used to treat MDR-TB are misused or mismanaged, the even more virulent extreme drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) can develop."
"The emergence of the deadly XDR-TB strain underscores the urgency of stopping MDR-TB. It is a global priority," stated Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director of the Stop TB Department, WHO.
"The continued commitment of the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership to the global fight against MDR-TB has greatly helped improve proper TB treatment protocols and monitoring systems. They understood very early that providing drugs to treat MDR-TB was not enough," added Raviglione.
