New Drug (R207910) Most Effective to Cure Tuberculosis and Kill Dormant Bacteria

Tuberculosis (TB) serious transmitted bacteria disease commonly affecting the lungs and second leading cause of death just behind HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) in 2005. 2 "It is estimated that 1.6 million deaths resulted from TB in 2005." 9 According to Dr. Lee Reichman, executive director of New Jersey School National tuberculosis Center, among AIDS patients outside the United States TB is the most common cause of death. 8. The scientific name of the bacteria attributed to Tuberculosis is Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.People can only be infected by the bacteria when they inhale it into their lungs the microscopic or minute particles from an infected person's cough, sneezes, shouts or spits. 2 The spread of TB is significantly apparent among family members who contract the disease from an infected relative, as well could be within close proximity of an infected co-worker. 7 The TB exposure can spread from the lungs to other parts of the body. Common symptoms of Tuberculosis include: Coughing up blood, weight loss, cough lasting more than three weeks, fever and chills, weakness or tiredness, and night sweats. 3 Confirming the diagnosis of TB by chest x-rays, and laboratory tests including tuberculin skin tests (In some cases the skin test can show false negative results). 4 "Those who have been infected will have a reaction where the skin becomes swollen." 7

Antibiotics are administered to treat tuberculosis and prevent an active infection from developing. One such antibiotic is isoniazid, which can be taken for six to twelve months. Alternative antibiotics (Such as Rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide) maybe prescribed for those who have liver disease (especially older people), those who suffer from alcoholism or those who develop side effects such as rash or tiredness. 5 According to World Health Organization, current antibiotic medications for tuberculosis have increasingly failed because strains of the TB (Known as XDR - TB (for extreme drug resistant tuberculosis)) have become resistant to treatment. In 2006, Morbidity and MortalityWeekly reported from samples taken in the United States four percent were extremely drug resistant and an increasingly higher percentage found in South Korea and East European/ West Asia region were resistant to the drug. 6

Reported in September 2008 Ani Koul and colleagues at Johnson & Johnson began testing a new drug (R207910) to combat tuberculosis. 10 During mice experiments in Belgium (Johnson & Johnson Laboratory) researchers evaluated R207910 and concluded worked better and faster than other drugs to treat tuberculosis: Reduced half the time to cure TB. The new drug (R207910) contains anti-TB compounds called diarylquinolines (DARQ): Neutralizing or attacking the enzyme in the Tuberculosis bacillus (bacteria) uses to make energy. Published in Journal of Science December 2004, Dr.Koen Andries lead author of R207910 study said regarding when the new drug is combined with standard drug treatment (Isoniazid and pyrazinamide medication) therapy: "It achieves the same result after one month as is being obtained in two months by the standard care therapy. That is why we are quite optimistic that we would be able to shorten treatment duration substantially by about 50%". 11 Also, she said: "The drug acts through a novel mechanism of action and is therefore active against all multi drug resistant (MDR) strains of TB tested so far." 12 According to Dr. Lee Reichman shortening the drug treatment for patients instead of six to nine months, less likely patients will interrupt their therapy or use the drug not according to prescribed regiment, could result in developing a strain of TB less resistant to medication. 8

Before R207910 is prescribed to tuberculosis patients, human studies are underway to determine the safety of the drug. 12 Previous study of R207910 on healthy adults proved to be safe, and well tolerated. Currently the new drug treatment is being evaluated on tuberculosis patients. 8 Impressively R207910 able to eliminate or target 95% of a protein (ATP synthase) essential making cellular energy by abundantly replicating TB even when the disease is in dormant stage. World - Wide one third of the population who has the dormant bacteria eventually will develop active tuberculosis. 10 Currently other antibiotic drugs including isoniazid can't prevent the effects of the dormant bacteria from emerging. 13 According to Dr. Andries projects five years before R207910 will be ready for prescribed usage. 8 Furthermore the future of R207910 could eliminate other bacterial infections by targeting once again ATP synthase. 10

References:

1.) The Threat of TB - http://www.tballiance.org/why/tb-threat.php

2.) How does a person get TB? = http://www.medicinenet.com/tuberculosis/article.htm

3.) Tuberculosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberculosis.html

4.) How does a doctor diagnose tuberculosis? = http://www.medicinenet.com/tuberculosis/page4.htm

5.) Is there a vaccine against tuberculosis? - http://www.medicinenet.com/tuberculosis/page5.htm

6.) Untreatable Strains of Tuberculosis to BE Studied - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/health/05cnd-tb.html?ex=1315108800&en=2642806d116257e4&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

7.) Tuberculosis - http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/123/main.html

8.) New antibiotic offers hope for TB treatment - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6685464

9.) Tuberculosis - http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/index.html

10.) Tuberculosis Drug Shows Promise Against Latent Bacteria - http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/121414.php

11.) Drug offers new hope for tuberculosis treatment - http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-09-tb_x.htm

12.) New Drug Could CUT TB Treatment Time in Half - http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=new-drug-could-cut-tb-tre&ec=ypi

13.) New drug found to effectively fight latent TB - http://www.newkerala.com/fs/d/ani075.htm