Japan was the latest stop on the TB Alliance global recruitment tour. In April, Joelle Tanguy, the TB Alliance Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs, met with health officials, scientists and advocates. Speaking at Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Ms. Tanguy urged the audience to join the global search for a faster TB cure: "This global endeavor is a natural for Japan, because of its leadership in the G-8 and because TB is a domestic health priority. We are eager to leverage our existing relationships here and expand our network. Join us."
The Alliance's existing Japanese network includes: Research Institute of Tuberculosis (RIT), the Japan Anti-TB Association (JATA), Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, and Medecins Sans Frontieres Japan(MSF-Japan).
Dr Toru Mori, Director of the Research Institute of Tuberculosis (RIT), has been instrumental in helping shape the scientific priorities of the Alliance since its inception. RIT is an affiliate of JATA, a TB Alliance stakeholder and active promoter of TB research to identify new drug targets. Dr Yoshiaki Kiso, a member of the TB Alliance Scientific Advisory Committee, chairs the Kyoto Pharmaceutical University's Department of Medicinal Chemistry and directs the Center for Frontier Research in Medicinal Science.
The Japan Anti-TB Association (JATA) was instrumental in the early design of the TB Alliance by providing the expertise of Dr Toru Mori. JATA was appointed a stakeholder of the TB Alliance to help oversee and guide the development of the organization. JATA's Research Institute of Tuberculosis stimulates research into tuberculosis science and the identification of new drugs.
During Ms. Tanguy's visit, the Alliance announced a project with the Korean Research Institute for Chemical Technology, with its Japanese partners.