New TB drugs mix cuts treatment to four months
Patients getting anti-tuberculosis medication at Bangalore s alcohol detoxification centre. A new four-month regimen for tuberculosis cuts down treatment from six months to four. Copyright: Image by Marcel Crozet / ILO, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). This image has been cropped.
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Shorter course includes the drugs rifapentine and moxifloxacin
New drug combination needs testing for possible resistance, say experts
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A new four-month regimen of anti-TB drugs that includes rifapentine and moxifloxacin works just as well as the standard six-month regimen, according to a study.
TB is an infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). This bacterium usually first infects the lungs after airborne transmission. It is encased in a granuloma, a small area of inflammation, and for months or years, the body may be able to contain the infection. However, if the immune system weakens or something else affects the granuloma, MTB proliferates, and the patient usually develops signs and symptoms that can include fever, cough with or without sputum production, weight loss or fatigue. Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Read Time:
Four months of multi-drug therapy that included rifapentine and moxifloxacin treated active tuberculosis (TB) as effectively as the standard six-month regimen in a multinational study, cutting treatment time by a third. Coauthors including Marc Weiner, MD, of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, reported the findings May 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Four months of multi-drug therapy for tuberculosis is as effective as standard regimen
Four months of multi-drug therapy that included rifapentine and moxifloxacin treated active tuberculosis (TB) as effectively as the standard six-month regimen in a multinational study, cutting treatment time by a third.
Coauthors including Marc Weiner, MD, of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, reported the findings May 6 in the
New England Journal of Medicine.
Shorter treatment would be easier for people to complete without missing doses, and ultimately may be cost-effective. These drugs have been around for more than 20 years and are widely available. This study demonstrates a new and feasible way to treat what is a global pandemic of tuberculosis.
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