PathoGenesis Drug Shows Activity vs TB

Researchers from US firm PathoGenesis have hit upon a new antibiotic, called PA-824, which is at least as effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis as isoniazid, one of the current front-line drugs used to combat the disease. More importantly, PA-824 also proved to be effective against multidrug-resistant isolates of the organism.

PA-824 is a nitroimidazopyran and was active both in vitro and in vivo against all the M tuberculosis strains challenged, including some particularly intractable strains which are resistant to many of the currently-available antitubercular agents, which suggests that it may be acting via a different mechanism to current drugs. For example, PA-824 was active against strains encountered in New York City, where 25% of all infections are isoniazid-resistant.

Commenting on the potential of the new drug, Wilbur Gantz, president and chief executive of PathoGenesis, said that there is good reason to believe that PA-824 will become an integral part of the firm's tuberculosis program, even though it is not yet in trials.