New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) German researchers have developed two novel antibiotics that have shown promise for millions of patients with tuberculosis (TB), leading to lesser side effects than the currently available treatments.

The drugs, sutezolid, and delpazolid, have demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity and a notably better safety profile compared to the currently used linezolid, with the potential to replace this current cornerstone in the treatment of drug-resistant TB.

Two international clinical studies on the antibiotics published in two peer-reviewed articles in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed that both sutezolid and delpazolid are safe, effective, and potential alternatives to linezolid in the treatment of TB.

“Seeing fewer side effects with sutezolid and delpazolid is a significant step forward — it brings us closer to TB therapies that are both effective and easier for patients to tolerate,” said Dr. Ivan Norena, medical team lead at the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at LMU University Hospital Munich.

Linezolid was introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022, as part of the BPaLM regimen, also comprising bedaquiline, pretomanid, and moxifloxacin, as the standard recommended 6-month treatment for patients with multidrug-resistant TB — reducing the duration from the previous standard 18 months.

However, linezolid was found to be problematic for patients as it showed significant toxicity. Prolonged exposure to linezolid, much longer than the originally intended use for bacterial skin infections, frequently leads to serious adverse events like anemia or optical neuropathy.

“Despite its effectiveness, linezolid is simply too toxic for many patients. We urgently need safer alternatives in this antibiotic class,” said PD Dr Norbert Heinrich, from the varsity.

Both sutezolid and delpazolid are members of the oxazolidinone class, like linezolid, but are less toxic for patients.

In the Phase 2b clinical trials, both drugs were tested in combination with bedaquiline, delamanid, and moxifloxacin, making them the first trials to use these specific four-drug combinations.

The studies, conducted in South Africa and Tanzania, showed that in patients with drug-sensitive pulmonary TB, both drugs are safer and more tolerable for patients than linezolid would be.

“These findings suggest that both drugs may offer safer treatment options for TB patients, particularly those requiring longer courses of therapy,” said the researchers.

–IANS

rvt/