2019 Tuberculosis Drug Discovery and Development GRC: Shortening the Duration of Tuberculosis Chemotherapy and GRS

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Abstract This application seeks partial support for the 2019 Tuberculosis (TB) Drug Discovery & Development Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) to be held in at the Rey Don Jaime Grand Hotel in Castelldefels, Spain from July 6-7 and 7-12, 2019. This will be the tenth GRC on TB Drug discovery with the first being held in 2001 and thereafter on a biennial basis and the fourth GRS associated with this GRC. This is the most important global conference on tuberculosis drug discovery and has consistently received a high-performance rating in the GRC Conference Evaluation outcome with more than 70% of conferees rating this meeting above average over the years. This GRC brings together TB drug development researchers from academia and industry in a friendly highly interactive environment to focus on the challenge of combatting this global public health threat. TB is now the leading cause of death internationally due to a single infectious agent despite the availability of a 6-9 month treatment regimen that achieves ~83% cure rates. This GRC has been assembled around the concept that the WHO's strategy to end the global TB epidemic can only be achieved by developing regimens with dramatically reduced treatment durations. A shorter treatment duration with drugs of similar of preferably increased safety profiles will lead to better adherence and importantly, combat the emerging threat of drug resistance. Under the theme of treatment shortening, this conference will bring together investigators with diverse backgrounds, including microbiology, chemistry, pharmacology, medicine and clinical research. The sessions have been orchestrated to provide a bench-to-bedside view of critical elements in achieving treatment shortening in the TB drug discovery field. The GRC will provide a unique opportunity to bring together the world's leading TB drug discovery researchers as well as a few researchers from outside the field who are doing work that may have a fundamental impact of how TB drug discovery may be approached in the future. The GRC and associated GRS foster an environment wherein which researchers are encouraged to share cutting edge unpublished data and exchange ideas between both established as well as young investigators and trainees hereby promoting career development for all attendees. The GRC will include a “Power Hour”, an optional informal gathering for all meeting participants to address the challenges women face in science and to support the professional growth of women in science. Both the GRC and the GRS programs will reflect the diversity of the scientists in the field with an aim of strong representation of women, underrepresented minorities and international scientists.