Two new drugs to treat drug-resistant TB are expected to hit the market in 2013. The drugs, Bedaqiline (TMC207) and Delamanid (OPC6783) are practically the first drugs to be developed in nearly 50 years and are expected to improve treatment of DR-TB.
These two investigational TB drugs are entering phase 3 studies and are likely to be submitted to the regulatory authorities this year.
Dr Manica Balasegaram, executive director of Medicine Sans Frontier’s (MSF) Access Campaign has expressed confidence that these drugs will make treatment more accessible and affordable.
“With new medicines for drug-resistant TB at the doorstep for the first time in half-a-century, the global health community can’t afford not to seize the opportunity of a lifetime by stopping drug-resistant TB from spiralling out of control,” said Dr Balasegaram.
Over 1,000 people die of TB every day. India counts for one-fifth of these global incidents. The WHO figures claim there are 65,000 people suffering from DR TB in India. The numbers are on the rise, especially since 50 per cent of DR-TB occur in India and China.
These two drugs are expected to substantially reduce the timeline for treatment. MSF, which has been treating TB for 25 years across 39 countries, pointed out that cure rates for DR-TB patients remains low at 53 per cent and which has several side-effects.
A new Xpert MTB/RIF test has also been devised which provides results within two hours and also helps detect whether a person’s TB strain is resistant to rifampicin. The earlier sputum smear microscopy culture test often took two months to give the result.