Though the total number of people with XDR-TB and treatment intolerant or non-responsive MDR-TB who will require the new anti-TB drug Pretomanid may not be high, these are people who have very little alternative treatment options that are both safe and efficacious. Unlike in the case of bedaquiline, pretomanid might become affordable. The anti-tuberculosis drug … Continue reading Pretomanid: XDR-TB may soon become easily treatable
Bedaquiline
Explainer: What makes the new drug-resistant TB medicine Pretomanid promising
When used in combination with bedaquiline and linezolid, the newly approved pretomanid drug for MDR-TB and XDR-TB had an overall treatment success rate of about 90%. Besides better effectiveness, the duration of treatment is just six months. Treating drug-resistant tuberculosis — multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) — got a shot in the … Continue reading Explainer: What makes the new drug-resistant TB medicine Pretomanid promising
‘Unethical to withhold bedaquiline treatment while waiting for Phase III results’
In a Phase IIb trail, bedaquiline drug for MDR-TB treatment was found to be cardiotoxic and hepatotoxic, and it also caused more deaths. Review of evidence in 2015 showed a reduction in mortality but there were unexplained serious adverse events of respiratory origin. While Phase III trial results are yet to become available, data from … Continue reading ‘Unethical to withhold bedaquiline treatment while waiting for Phase III results’
MDR-TB treatment gets a boost with the inclusion of bedaquiline in the fully-oral regimen
In a “rapid communication”, WHO has informed all member States to take “immediate steps” to ensure that all injectables are replaced with a fully-oral regimen that includes bedaquiline to treat all MDR-TB patients. The guidelines, to be published later this year, are based on assessment of new evidence on the safety and efficacy of bedaquiline … Continue reading MDR-TB treatment gets a boost with the inclusion of bedaquiline in the fully-oral regimen
ICMR wins the 2017 Kochon Prize for TB research
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has won the Stop TB Kochon Prize for excellence in TB research and development. The $65,000 Prize is awarded annually by Stop TB Partnership to individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to combating TB. The ICMR emerged the winner from amongst 18 nominations. The 2017 Kochon Prize was awarded … Continue reading ICMR wins the 2017 Kochon Prize for TB research
India wants to eliminate TB by 2025 but falters on several critical fronts
In 2015, India accounted for nearly 2.8 million (27%) of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world, and 0.48 million (29%) of the 1.8 million TB deaths globally. Yet, India brings up the rear on most critical fronts to fight the disease. This has been clearly highlighted by the ‘Out of Step’ … Continue reading India wants to eliminate TB by 2025 but falters on several critical fronts
Without a magic wand, India cannot eliminate TB by 2025
At the end of 50 years of tuberculosis control activities, the disease remains a major health challenge in India. As per new estimates, the number of new cases every year has risen to 2.8 million and mortality is put at 4,80,000 each year. These figures may go up when the national TB prevalence survey is … Continue reading Without a magic wand, India cannot eliminate TB by 2025
Why is TB bacteria not on WHO’s deadly superbug list?
Of the estimated 10.4 million new tuberculosis cases globally in 2015, nearly 0.5 million estimated cases were multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases. Another nearly one million were resistant to rifampicin drug alone. India accounted for 2.84 million new cases in 2015, of which 79,000 had MDR-TB. There were 1.4 million TB deaths worldwide in 2015. For … Continue reading Why is TB bacteria not on WHO’s deadly superbug list?
Pilot testing of bedaquiline drug on TB patients to start soon
A pilot programme to test the toxicity, particularly cardio-toxicity, of bedaquiline drug (used for combating multidrug-drug resistant TB) in the Indian population, assess its ability to achieve culture conversion and check the operational feasibility of using the drug to treat MDR-TB patients would start in India by the end of this month or on World … Continue reading Pilot testing of bedaquiline drug on TB patients to start soon
Clinical trials on child-friendly bedaquiline MDR-TB drug for children initiated
“Before the BPCA [Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act] and the PREA [Paediatric Research Equity Act] became law, more than 80 per cent of the drugs approved [by FDA] for adult use were being used for children, even though the safety and effectiveness had not been established in the latter. Today that number has been reduced … Continue reading Clinical trials on child-friendly bedaquiline MDR-TB drug for children initiated
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