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        WHO: New Multi-drug Resistant TB Treatment Could Be Game Changer

   by Lisa Schlein

   The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending a [1]new easier and
   cheaper treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) that
   it says will save the lives of tens of thousands of people.

   Every year, nearly one-half million men, women, and children worldwide
   develop multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.  And, each year, 190,000 of
   these people die.  The WHO says the death rate is high because fewer
   than 20 percent of the patients are being properly treated.

   Director of the WHO's Global TB Program, Mario Raviglione, says a new
   test and a new treatment regimen could be a game changer for those with
   multi-drug resistant TB.

   "These two new recommendations from WHO enable MDR-TB patients - one,
   to benefit from a test that will quickly identify who is eligible for
   the shorter MDR-TB treatment regimen and two, complete treatment in
   half the time at nearly half the cost of today,"  Raviglione said.

   The new diagnostic test yields results in just 24 to 48 hours, down
   from the three months or longer currently required.

   ''Cost savings
   The shorter treatment regimen costs less than $1,000 per patient and
   can be completed between nine and 12 months.

   Conventional treatment programs for people with multi-drug resistant TB
   take between 18 and 24 months to complete at a cost of $1,500 to
   $3,000.

   Raviglione says that globally about 50 percent of those following this
   lengthy, costly treatment are cured.  He says the other 50 percent
   either die or continue to live with this illness for years.

   He says about one-quarter of the patients become discouraged and
   abandon the treatment regimen before it is ended.

   "[They] abandon treatment because the treatment lasts, as you probably
   know, up to two years... with drugs that we all know are fairly toxic
   in a way.  They have side effects and they are not really liked by
   patients who have to take them," Raviglione said.

   There are about 400 labs in developing countries that are able to
   conduct the new test and treatment programs. The WHO believes most
   people with multi-drug resistant TB will be able to access the new
   options.
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   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/multidrug-resistant-tuberculosis/3327
   564.html

References

   1. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/multidrug-resistant-tuberculosis/en/
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/multidrug-resistant-tuberculosis/3327564.html