Delamamid, a new anti tuberculosis drug

A pharmaceutical company, named Ohtsuka in Japan, has invented a new anti tuberculosis drug recently. It has been reported to be effective in the treatment for "super" multiple drug resistance cases in the recent issue of New England Journal of Medicine..

Tuberculosis is not an infection in the past. In Japan, about 20.000 new patients are diagnosed every year, whose 10% go on ominous prognosis. One percent of newly diagnosed patients ared told to develop multiple drug resistance type. This new drug has a unique mechanism to suppress mycole acid synthesis necessary for the bacterial cellular membrane, so that it has no cross resistance with the other kinds of drug. It also has little side effects other than possibility of an arrhythmia.

I won't intend to advertise this drug. But, as a doctor who used to work in the clinical service, I am simply moved by the enthusiasm of the researchers of such a medicine together with the management staff who have made this drug available in the market. I am sure the market won't be large enough to make it a big success. In the severely competitive market, they have pursued this orphan drug for the rare cases of multiple drug resistance cases. I see a hopeful and good willed aspect of pharmaceutical engineering business in this news.

I only hope this drug will be given to those with this difficult illness especially in the developing countries.