The problem
Safe and effective daily oral medicines are available to prevent and treat diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis C and malaria. However, inconsistent use of these medicines can lead to treatment failure, disease transmission and a higher risk of drug-resistance. People in low- and middle-income countries, where these disease burdens are highest, are also vulnerable to inconsistent access to treatments. Disease stigma, socioeconomic challenges and logistical barriers often prevent people from reaching clinics to obtain their medication, while others simply struggle to remember daily pills. Long-acting formulations, in patches or injections that can last weeks or months, could offer an option that would free people from pill regimens and increase adherence, but the research and development required to produce these formulations is underfunded.
Our response
Unitaid’s LONGEVITY project, led by the University of Liverpool, is exploring long-acting versions of medicines that could cure hepatitis C and prevent malaria and TB. The project is expected to help patients succeed in their treatment, save and improve lives, and stop the spread of diseases. The LONGEVITY team is working with another Unitaid-backed initiative, the Medicines Patent Pool, to ensure that the long-acting treatments that emerge from the new projects are accessible and affordable in low- and middle-income countries that need them.
- Single-shot hepatitis C cure: Simpler treatment to clear hepatitis C infection with a single injection
- Microarray patches: A wearable skin patch with slow-release medicine for TB or malaria prevention, geared to infants and children
- Injectable TB prevention: To further simplify treatment and protect people exposed to TB disease without taking pills over several weeks and months
With Unitaid’s support, the University of Liverpool has established the Centre of excellence for long-acting therapeutics (CELT), an internationally recognized center of excellence, whose mission is to drive awareness, understanding, development, and equitable implementation of long-acting therapeutics for unmet global health needs. CELT aims to be a major catalyst in the transformation of current drug delivery systems by leading the way in long-acting therapeutics research and product development.
