Tuberculosis (TB) is the no 1 infectious disease killer all over the world but there has not been much development in new therapeutics till recently.
There are 2 ways to address TB. Vaccine and therapeutics.
The current vaccine for TB has been BCG which is not very effective in adults is still useful in children and given to children regularly. But there has not been much development – there is no incentive for development….
On the therapeutics, most of the drugs that are used have been around since many years and are not very effective…the standard drugs are Isoniazid, Rifampin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol are sued for a long treatment regimen and the MDR are treated for longer with additional drugs.
Now there are other options:
M27 vaccine that is derived from 2 Mycobacterium Tuberculosis strains is in Phase 3
For MDR Tb: Sudapyridine for MDR-TB which is being presented as a superior to Bedaquiline
Quabodepistat – A decrprenylphospho-beta-D-ribose-2-oxidase inihibitor is another drug being considered and may become the front line in treatment of TB since it has a short treatment time.
There are other late stage drugs that are in development so the future for TB is beginning to look good.
