New molecule offers hope for faster TB cure
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New molecule offers hope for faster TB cure
[NEW DELHI] Indian researchers have discovered a new molecule
that they say could lead to a faster cure for tuberculosis (TB).
They have applied for clearance to perform human clinical trials
on the potential drug and for patents both in India and in the
United States.
The molecule has been tested in rats and in guinea pigs, where
it reduced the normal treatment time of six to eight months to
just two months. In addition, it was found to be effective
against all known drug-resistant strains of the bacterium that
causes TB.
Indian science minister Kapil Sibal announced the results on
Monday (6 September). Raghunath Mashelkar, director general of
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which
participated in the study, says this is the first time in 40
years that a TB drug candidate has shown promising results in
animal studies.
Mumbai-based Lupin Laboratories identified the new molecule in
2001. In subsequent cell-based and animal studies, researchers
found that it significantly reduced numbers of TB bacteria. When
given in combination with other TB drugs, it cleared TB bacteria
in animal lungs and spleens within two months.
Over the course of six months, the scientists found no evidence
that the bacteria developed resistance to the drug. The re-
searchers observed no adverse effects on tested animals whether
the molecule was given in single or multiple doses, and a single
oral dose given daily was effective.
The proposed human trials would study whether the molecule could
work as a stand-alone drug, or substitute one or two components
of the present four-drug cocktail, says Sudarshan Arora, of Lu-
pin Laboratories.
The current anti-TB treatment lasts six to eight months and is
effective only in an uninterrupted schedule. In many resource-
poor countries, patients often skip their doses, which makes
multiple drug resistance more likely.
Some 1.6 billion people (almost one-third of the world popula-
tion) are infected with TB, with eight million new cases occur-
ring each year. The current global market for TB drugs is esti-
mated at US$600 million.
A consortium of 12 government research institutes and universi-
ties joined Lupin Laboratories to develop the molecule. They in-
cluded three CSIR laboratories: the Central Drug Research Insti-
tute in Lucknow, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in
Hyderabad, the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, and the
University of Hyderabad.