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TB Alliance announces first-ever, fixed-dose TB drug designed for children
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TB Alliance and partners recently announced the availability of the world’s first fixed-dose combination tuberculosis medications designed specifically for children, which meet WHO dosage guidelines, according to a press release.
The TB treatment includes an initial fixed-dose combination including rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide for 2 months, followed up by a second combination of rifampicin and isoniazid for 4 months. These medications are not novel, but are instead improved child-specific doses that dissolve easier and are more palatable, making them better suited for children, according to the release. The new formulations also are simpler for providers to prescribe and for parents to administer. TB Alliance partnered with UNITAID, USAID, WHO and others to stimulate the development and introduction of these new medications.
Mel Spigelman
“The availability of correctly dosed medications will improve treatment for children everywhere,” Mel Spigelman, MD, president and CEO of TB Alliance, said in the release. “This is an important step toward ending the neglect that has characterized the care of children with TB for far too long.”
According to WHO, TB is currently the world’s deadliest infectious disease, which affects approximately 1 million children each year, of whom 140,000 die. The current treatment for children consists of crushed or chopped adult doses, leading to imprecise dosing, a bitter taste and, ultimately, a less effective treatment.
The fixed-dose combination formulations are currently in the process of being prequalified by WHO. The drugs are scheduled to roll out in early 2016, according to press release.
“If we are to end the TB epidemic by 2030, we must bring children with TB out of the shadows and ensure they are properly diagnosed, treated and cured,” Mario Raviglione, MD, director of the Global TB Programme at WHO, said in the release. “The new fixed-dose formulations for children will offer hope for the 400 children who needlessly die of TB each day. Urgent action is needed to ensure these medicines reach those in need and rapidly improve child survival from TB.”