The new method helps shorten the duration of treatment for TB

On July 21, scientists announced a new method that combines three highly effective drugs, shortening treatment time from two years to four months in the treatment of tuberculosis , especially for Drug-resistant TB bacteria complications.

The results are published at the 20th International AIDS Conference taking place in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Antibiotic-resistant strains of tuberculosis bacteria are a problem for the medical community, especially for patients infected with HIV / AIDS.

According to scientists, the HIV / AIDS virus attacks CD4 immune cells, enabling bacteria to easily enter the body. Meanwhile, TB is the disease that causes the highest mortality rate in HIV / AIDS patients.

Get the new TB vaccine as part of a trial program for children with the tuberculosis (SATVI) vaccine at Brewelskloof Hospital in Worcester, South Africa.(Photo: AFP / VNA)

At least 30% of 35 million people infected with HIV / AIDS carry TB germs. Patients with tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS at the same time are at 30 times more likely to develop tuberculosis than those without HIV infection. In 2012, about 320,000 HIV / AIDS-infected patients died from tuberculosis.

Therefore, scientists have studied new therapies, especially for the treatment of confirmed patients who cannot be treated with existing antibiotics (also known as MDR patients).

Dr Mel Spigelman, head of a team of scientists who works on the study of tuberculosis therapy, said they found a combination drug, called PaMZ , combining two unlicensed drugs. In tuberculosis treatment, including Pa-824 and moxifloxacin, with the currently used TB drug pyrazinamide.

Scientists have tested PaMZ with 207 volunteers in South Africa. Of these, 20% were infected with HIV / AIDS, 181 were sensitive to drugs in PaMZ and 26 were identified as MDR patients.

The results showed that 71% of patients had no tuberculosis bacteria in saliva samples after two months of treatment with PaMZ, while with the same treatment time, only 38% of patients were identified as having no TB bacteria if used. Traditional treatment. For MDR patients, the duration of treatment is shortened from two years to traditional treatments to four months with PaMZ.

This will help reduce up to 90% of treatment costs in some countries because MDR therapies are complex. Another benefit of PaMZ is that it does not affect treatment to neutralize the HIV virus.

In the scientific world, compared with traditional treatments, PaMZ has many advantages such as higher safety, simpler implementation methods and lower costs.

With this breakthrough result, the Bill & Melinda Gates Charity Foundation will sponsor scientists to continue their research. Australia is also committed to supporting the development of new drugs to treat tuberculosis as part of the Global Partnership program for TB medicines.