New TB Treatment May Prevent Spread
A new, simpler therapy for treating people at risk of developing tuberculosis may significantly aid in prevention of the disease. Patients who took a combination of two drugs only 12 times over three months did just as well as those who received the current recommended treatment, which requires 270 daily doses.
An antibiotic sold by drug manufacturer Sanofi, rifapentine, in addition to established tuberculosis drug isoniazid, makes up the simpler drug regimen. Researchers presented the results of the study on the simpler therapy at a medical meeting on Monday.
The 10-year study included more than 8,000 patients with latent TB infection, meaning they have the tuberculosis bacteria in their bodies but no symptoms and are not contagious. More than 11 million Americans are positive for latent TB, the CDC said, with Asians, other minorities and foreign-born individuals affected more often.
Despite the fact that many believe tuberculosis to be a disease of the past, more than 11,000 cases were reported in the United States last year. TB kills around 1.7 million people each year, and the number of new cases is now higher than any other time in history. The study results could signify a major change in the prevention of the highly infectious disease.