New dry powder antibiotic targets tuberculosis, reduces treatment time

There are an estimated 9.4 million new cases of TB worldwide, according to the most recent statistics from the World Health Organization. While tuberculosis is curable, treatment can take from 6 -12 months and up to two years for multi-drug resistant TB.

Lead researcher J'aime Manion and her colleagues from the University of Colorado developed the inhalable dry powder, comprised of fine particles of antibiotics. These particles are targeted to the deep lung where TB enters in early stages of infection. The goal of this method is to distribute a larger fraction of antibiotic to protected TB lesions that are difficult to access by current treatments.

“Combining this novel treatment with more traditional methods may increase the targeted dose to the lung airspace and tissue, potentially reducing treatment time and systemic side effects,” said Manion. “As an inhalable powder, it eliminates the storage, disposal and contamination challenges that developing countries face with a needle delivery method.”

For the first time, FIP's PSWC and the AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition will join to hold the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting to improve global health through advances in pharmaceutical sciences. An estimated 10,000 scientists from more than 60 countries will participate in 100 sessions, including 40 symposia and roundtables.

Learn more about the meeting and global health from leading scientists in this webisode series and follow the tweet hashtag #PSWC2010 for meeting updates.

Editor's Note: All press must register and provide press credentials to attend this meeting. To register, please contact CatapanoJ@aaps.org or 703-248-4772. To schedule an interview with J'aime Manion or any other press inquiry, please contact Hillarie Turner at hbt@ecius.net or 202-296-2002 x113.

About AAPS: The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists is a professional, scientific society of approximately 12,000 members employed in academia, industry, government and other research institutes worldwide. For more information, please visit www.aapspharmaceutica.com.

About FIP: The International Pharmaceutical Federation is the global federation of national associations representing two million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists from around the world. For more information, please visit www.fip.org.