Sanofi, TB Alliance form research collaboration to search for new treatment compounds

French drug maker Sanofi on Thursday announced a new three-year research collaboration agreement with the TB Alliance "to accelerate the discovery and development of novel compounds against tuberculosis," RTTNews reports (9/20). "According to company material, the projects will explore a compound which researchers believe has potential to treat all forms of tuberculosis, investigate another class of natural derivatives that has shown 'impressive' activity against tuberculosis bacteria, and identify future candidates for development among chemical compounds in Sanofi's collection," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog writes (Barton, 9/20). RTTNews notes, "Sanofi, which discovered rifampicin in the early 1960s, markets several anti-tuberculosis drugs" (9/20).