disease

WASHINGTON -- New tuberculosis (TB) vaccines in development have the potential to provide protection against all strains of the disease, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB strains.

The finding was announced here on Wednesday by Dr. Jerald Sadoff, president of the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, at the International Conference on Global Health.

Aeras, the non-profit organization dedicated to creating new TB vaccines, is working to develop at least one new TB vaccine regime for infants and one for adolescents within seven to nine years.

The agency and its partners have the largest TB vaccine pipeline in the world with six vaccine candidates in or expected to be in the Phase I-II trials in 2007.

Dr. Sadoff's announcement comes as the new, deadlier strains of TB -- including MDR and XDR -- are spreading around the world.