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.” “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  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.  Dr. Stoffels. “We hope to create a life-saving drug with TMC 278 .”  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 7 JOHNSON & JOHNSON 2010 ANNUAL REPORT