TB Alliance and IMS Health (a healthcare market research and consulting-services firm) have recently conducted a study titled 'Size and Usage Patterns of Private TB Markets in the High-Burden Countries' that was published yesterday i. e. on May 4, 2011 in the journal PLoS ONE.

The detailed study showcases information about the private TB Drug Markets in 10 high TB burden countries, which carry 60% responsibility of the world's TB burden. The countries are namely India, china, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

The new study has revealed that the private TB drug market is extremely large and possibilities are higher that irregular practices occur in the drug market, which could definitely drive treatment failures and contribute to emergence of multi drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), which is definitely worsening the TB epidemic today.

A video interview of Dr. William Wells, the study's Lead Author and Director of Market Access at the TB Alliance was taken in which he said that the kind of above study held can really prove out to be very useful in present times.

Though Tuberculosis is a public health concern and its treatment was seen as a primary responsibility of the public sector till recently but as new TB drug regimens are being rolled out thus with each passing day, it is becoming important for the concerned authorities to understand and clear the vision about the entire TB drug market if they efficiently wants to plan for the introduction and maximum impact of the new TB drugs.