Thioridazine cures extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and the need for global trials is now!

Abstract

Thioridazine (TDZ) has been shown to have in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to promote the killing of intracellular MDR and XDR strains and to cure the mouse of antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) infections. Recently, TDZ was used to cure 10 of 12 XDR-TB patients in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the time of writing, it is being used for the therapy of non-antibiotic-responsive terminal XDR-TB patients in Mumbai, India, on the basis of compassionate therapy and although it is too early to determine a cure, the patients have improved appetite, weight gain, are afebrile and free of night sweats, and their radiological picture shows great improvement. Because XDR-TB is essentially a terminal disease in many areas of the world and no new effective agents have yet to yield successful clinical trials, global clinical trials for the therapy of XDR-TB are urgently required.

• Authors: Leonard Amaral, Martin J Boeree, Stephen H Gillespie, Zarir F Udwadia, Dick van Soolingen
• Journal: International journal of antimicrobial agents (Int J Antimicrob Agents) Vol. 35 Issue 6 Pg. 524-6 (Jun 2010) ISSN: 1872-7913 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 20188526 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: 2010 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents
• Thioridazine

Topics

• Animals
• Antitubercular Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Argentina
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Humans
• India
• Mice
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (drug effects)
• Thioridazine (pharmacology, therapeutic use)