Researchers are testing a TB treatment modality that could cut the length of therapy, which now can extend for two years, to six months. The approach shows promise in treating both drug sensitive (DS TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB).
None of the drugs being tested is known to interfere with HIV treatment.
"This is a good reason to test these new drugs, as some of the old drugs that were used did interfere with the treatment of HIV," said Dr. Andreas Diacon, coordinator of the trials.
The approach being tested, known as New Combination 1 (NC001), combines the experimental drug PA-824 and moxifloxacin with pyrazinamide, an antibiotic common in TB treatment. The combination will undergo Phase II testing at two sites in South Africa, the Lung Institute at the University of Cape Town and the TASK Research Center in Bellville.
The 68 patients in the trial will receive two weeks of treatment and three months of follow-up to evaluate the drugs' effectiveness, safety and tolerability. Results are expected in three to four months. Subsequent research will look at the effect of longer exposure to the drugs.
Effective TB treatment requires careful adherence to the therapy regimen, something patients can find difficult over the long course of treatment. Patients who do not strictly follow a prescribed regimen often must restart therapy and run the risk of developing resistance to TB medications.
TB kills about 2 million people every year, and the impact falls disproportionately on Africa and Asia.
"At the moment we are trying to design new trials where new drugs are taken in new combinations from the start, which could shorten the time span in which new drugs become available. Especially in South Africa, we cannot wait for 20 years to have results," Diacon said.
11/18/10
SOUTH AFRICA: New Drugs to Speed TB Treatment
Source: Inter Press Service (11.15.10):: Tinus De Jager; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention