The mechanism by which the phenothiazine thioridazine contributes to cure problematic drug-resistant forms of pulmonary tuberculosis: recent patents for "new use".

Abstract

At this moment, over half million patients suffer from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) according to the data from the WHO. A large majority is terminally ill with essentially incurable pulmonary tuberculosis. This herein mini-review provides the experimental and observational evidence that a specific phenothiazine, thioridazine, will contribute to cure any form of drug-resistant tuberculosis. This antipsychotic agent is no longer under patent protection for its initial use. The reader is informed on the recent developments in patenting this compound for "new use" with a special emphasis on the aspects of drug-resistance. Given that economic motivation can stimulate the use of this drug as an antitubercular agent, future prospects are also discussed.

• Authors: Leonard Amaral, Ana Martins, Gabriella Spengler, Attila Hunyadi, Joseph Molnar
• Journal: Recent patents on anti-infective drug discovery (Recent Pat Antiinfect Drug Discov) Vol. 8 Issue 3 Pg. 206-12 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 2212-4071 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 24320229 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents
• Thioridazine

Topics

• Antitubercular Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (drug effects, metabolism)
• Patents as Topic
• Salvage Therapy
• Thioridazine (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant (drug therapy)
• Tuberculosis, Pulmonary (drug therapy)