New TB treatment breakthroughs must reach those in-need without delay

Shobha Shukla – CNS
Contd from previous issue
High treatment effectiveness of BPaL regimen in Nix-TB study “came at the cost with very high rates of toxicity - 81% of the patients, who had one or more episodes of peripheral neuropathy, required the regimen to be either dose-adjusted, interrupted or abandoned altogether, and 48% of participants experienced one or more episode of myelosuppression so a reduction in haemoglobin (red blood cells), white blood cells or platelets,” said Dr Conor Tweed, Honorary Clinical Lecturer, Medical Research Council, Clinical Trials Unit at University College London (UCL), who was in conversation with CNS. Jessica Wiggs, Senior Communication Specialist of TB Alliance also joined the conversation.
That is why ZeNix Study was conducted to check if Linezolid related side effects could be reduced with reduced Linezolid dosing and/or duration of therapy, and how this would impact the effectiveness of the BPaL regimen.                        (To be contd)