Antibiotics developed in 1960s show promise for TB therapy
Wednesday, September 28, 2016 - 11:52
in Health & Medicine
First generation cephalosporins—antibiotics introduced as a treatment against bacterial infections in 1963—now show promise for tuberculosis (TB) therapy, according to new research. Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the most deadly infectious disease in the world. Standard TB therapy takes at least six months and patients infected with multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains undergo treatments that are even longer (up to 24 months). Treatment is often associated with severe side effects. Studies indicate that the cost of developing a new drug has soared to $2.6 billion.