According to a new report released by the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, a non- profit organization created to develop new TB drugs, the market for drugs to treat TB will approach $700 million by 2010. TB affects 1.9 billion people - a third of the world's population - and takes the lives of two million each year. The report, entitled "The Economics of TB Drug Development," estimates the current market for TB drugs to be $450 million - with 67 percent representing private sales. It is expected to grow by 50 percent within the decade. The report highlights the return on investment promised by new drugs, especially in public health and suggests that partnerships are the best strategy for results-oriented Research and Development of TB drugs.