A new tuberculosis treatment has been developed to battle drug resistant bacteria. A new research shows that tuberculosis in a mouse can be cured by simply tweaking the standard regimen of antibiotics. They reduced treatment time by 75 percent they were able to do this by optimizing the combinations and doses of the standard drugs.
This study may result in a shorter time for treating tuberculosis for in humans. And reduces the possibility that the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics. The previous tuberculosis treatment takes a long time. Patients must take a regimen of antibiotics for eight months or more. Resulting for the infected person to fail in completing the full course of treatment. Particularly to low income countries that may have the difficulty to access the medication they need. Failing to complete the medication may cause drug resistant bacterias.
The researchers said that the new developed drug could help prevent the spread of drug resistant bacteria. World Health Organization data shows that tuberculosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. With more than 10.4 million cases and 1.8 million deaths in 2015. TB is an airborne disease spread by coughing, sneezing or any exchange of saliva.
A data from the World Health Organization shows that there were 500,000 cases of drug resistant tuberculosis mostly in China, India and Russia. In the United States 10 drugs are approved to treat TB wherein patients have to take them together for eight weeks, often followed by just isoniazid and rifampin for the next 16 to 24 weeks. The first line of defense is a set of four antibiotics: pyrazinamide , isoniazid, ethambutol and rifampin.
According to the Fox News, Comparing to the study that showed promising results, one had four common and inexpensive drugs (clofazimine, ethambutol, prothionamide and pyrazinamide) and cured the mice in 12 weeks. The second had a similar set of four drugs but with a less-common, more-expensive drug (bedaquiline) replacing prothionamide, and cured the mice only four weeks. It was a 75 percent reduction time compared to the previous treatment.
According to the Newsroom, if the new regimens are as successful in treating TB in humans as they were in mice, then the patients would have higher chances to complete the medication at a shorter time. It would be less difficult for patients to undergo medication at this rate. The new tuberculosis treatment could possibly battle drug resistant bacteria and could also shorten the span treatment period.
