Eli Lilly and PIH launch MDR-TB training programme in former Soviet Republics

Eli Lilly and Partners in Health (PIH) have announced the launch of a series of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) training schemes for health officials in ten former Soviet Republics.

The schemes will be funded as part of a $4 million (2 million pound) grant made available by The Lilly MDR-TB Partnership and will be conducted by experts from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).

The PIH training programmes will bring together health officials and leaders responsible for overseeing MDR-TB co-ordination in countries such as Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.

Robert L Smith, president of the Lilly Foundation, outlined that the pharmaceutical company was working to ensure that its corporate responsibility efforts brought “measurable results” to the communities and patients it serves.

“We do not have a better example of this than The Lilly MDR-TB Partnership, collaboration with 14 partners including PIH and BWH, which has achieved impressive results. We’re honoured to be part of this effort.”

The programme’s announcement was made in conjunction with the release of a World Health Organisation survey which called for “urgent measures” to prevent the rapid spread of the disease.

Earlier this week, Eli Lilly announced that Forsteo (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection) received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency.