NATIONAL CENTER FOR TUBERCULOSIS AND LUNG DISEASES JSC

Their core work

Georgia's principal clinical and research institution for tuberculosis, including drug-resistant forms. They operate as a clinical trial site and patient recruitment center for large multi-country TB studies, contributing patient cohorts, clinical data, and real-world treatment expertise. Their work spans host-directed therapy trials, stratified medicine approaches for TB treatment, and epidemiological tracking of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. As a country with a significant TB burden, their participation brings critical access to patient populations and clinical infrastructure that Western European partners typically lack.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

All three projects started in 2020, so the evolution window is narrow. However, there is a discernible thematic arc: the earlier-weighted projects (SMA-TB) focused on clinical endpoints — biomarkers, quality of life, and systems biology approaches to treatment prediction. The later-weighted projects (DRTB-HDT, ECOEVODRTB) shift toward fundamental biology — bacterial genomics, evolutionary fitness, and resistance mechanisms. This suggests a deepening from applied clinical work toward understanding the underlying biology of drug-resistant TB.

Moving from purely clinical trial participation toward contributing to fundamental research on how drug-resistant TB evolves and persists, which positions them for next-generation precision medicine studies.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 16 unique partners across 11 countries from just 3 projects, they work in large, geographically diverse consortia typical of multi-center clinical trials. Their role is that of a clinical site partner: they bring patients, clinical infrastructure, and regional TB expertise to consortia led by Western European research universities.

Connected to 16 partners across 11 countries through 3 projects, indicating participation in broad multi-center consortia. Their network likely spans Western European universities and research hospitals that lead TB research but need clinical sites in high-burden countries.

What sets them apart

Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Central Asia with one of the highest multidrug-resistant TB rates in the WHO European Region, making NCTLD an irreplaceable clinical partner for any TB trial needing access to drug-resistant cases. They combine the clinical infrastructure of a national reference center with active engagement in European research networks. For consortium builders, they offer what most EU partners cannot: large MDR-TB patient cohorts, treatment facilities, and frontline clinical expertise in a high-burden setting.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DRTB-HDT
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 623,235) — a randomized controlled multi-center trial of host-directed therapy for drug-resistant TB, one of the most challenging areas in infectious disease.
• ECOEVODRTB
  An ERC Advanced Grant project (rare for a participant from Georgia) linking TB evolution at the patient level to population-level spread — bridges clinical medicine and evolutionary biology.