Advances in Treatment
The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and, more recently, extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB has intensified the need for new TB drugs. Helping discover and develop those drugs is a top NIAID priority. The Institute supports research to elucidate the mechanisms of drug resistance, identify new TB drug targets and candidate drugs, and evaluate novel TB drugs and optimal drug combinations in preclinical and clinical studies.
Important advances in TB treatment research include
- Development of promising new drug candidates, some of which are currently being tested in human clinical trials
- Evaluation of shorter treatment regimens to make it easier for people to complete drug therapy
- Inclusion of antibiotics that are already available for treatment of other infections and have been shown to act on Mycobacterium tuberculosis may make therapy more potent and easier to tolerate
Research Feature Stories