Brazil to produce new drug for tuberculosis
The Institute of Drug Technology (Farmanguinhos) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) registered Monday (Nov. 24) a new drug against tuberculosis combining four active ingredients in one tablet – rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. It was approved by the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). According to Fiocruz, 71,123 new cases of the disease were reported in the past year alone.
According to the World Health Organization, this fixed-dose combination is the most effective therapy for tuberculosis management, offering better prospects of compliance (patient adherence) for the lengthy period of treatment.
In 2010, Farmanguinhos signed a deal with Lupin, an India-based laboratory, to produce the drug. According to Farmanguinhos Manager Gisele Moreira, Fiocruz will receive technological support to start its own on-site production in Rio de Janeiro within three years. “Farmanguinhos should be able to start producing the drug in 2017,” said Moreira. Until then, the Indian laboratory will continue to supply the product to Brazil's public healthcare system (SUS).
According to Brazil's Ministry of Health, the country annually spends about $4.3 million in efforts to manage tuberculosis. With the new combination drug, Farmanguinhos will rely on four drugs to treat the disease. Currently it produces ethionamide, isoniazid, and rifampicin + isoniazid.
Tuberculosis is an infectious, contagious disease, which mainly affects the lungs. Every year, about 6 million new cases are reported worldwide. While curable, the disease kills more than 1 million people a year, the World Health Organization reports. In 2012 alone, more than 4,400 Brazilians died from the disease.
Among the most vulnerable populations are the homeless people, who are 44 times as likely to be infected than the average population. People with HIV are also highly prone, followed by prisoners, and indigenous populations.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Brazil to produce new drug for tuberculosis
