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discovered. Now in clinical trials, the treatment, TMC 207 , will initially target the increasing number of patients who have failed tuberculosis therapies due to drug resistance. Tibotec has partnered with the nonprofit Global Alliance for Tuberculosis Drug Development, which will conduct studies of TMC 207  in patients undergoing TB treatment for the first time. 

In addition, a new HIV drug, TMC 278 (rilpivirine), is undergoing regulatory review and may add to the already strong HIV portfolio. “It is generally safe and well-tolerated in clinical trials,” says 

Dr. Stoffels. “We hope to create a life-saving drug with TMC 278 .” 

The two new hepatitis C medicines, which are protease inhibitors, are also breakthrough treatments that may offer new hope to patients who have failed prior drug therapies. As well, they are intended for patients being treated for hepatitis C for the first time. The drugs would be administered in combination with the existing standard treatment. 

“Our goal is to use our science and understanding of infectious diseases to help people survive, improve their health and make a significant difference in the lives 

COMMITTED TO RESEARCH  With a passion for scientific research, Ramon Polo (left) and Brian Woodfall are working to develop telaprevir for hepatitis C. Like others at Tibotec in Belgium, they’re driven by the knowledge that their efforts have the potential to not only improve health but help people survive. 

of patients around the world,” Dr. Stoffels says. “That is the highest thing you can do in a human lifetime. This passion for making a difference in the lives of patients around the world is what drives us.” 

