The group of researchers hope it could treat TB
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A new drug could be developed to treat tuberculosis following research by a team led by the University of Strathclyde
The group of researchers from Strathclyde University, together with the University College London and University of Birmingham, discovered the compound from an antibiotic, which they hope could become an effective treatment for TB.
Further tests will need to be carried out before it can be developed into a drug for human testing.
TB takes about two million lives each year and some strains are now resistant to drugs currently being used.
“TB is a very complex disease. It’s not only deadly in itself but is closely linked with HIV/AIDS. It’s also very difficult to detect and treat.
“Globally, more than eight million people develop active TB every year and if trends continue, there will be a total of 36 million TB-related deaths by 2020 – yet the drugs used to treat the disease were developed in the 1950s.
“All of this highlights the urgent need for new, more effective drugs to treat it. Our research has found a promising scaffold for a new class of drugs to deal with this severe health problem,”
The research is the first major breakthrough for Tuberculosis Drug Discovery UK (TBD-UK), a nationwide consortium of scientists specialising in the development of new medicines to treat TB.
By Deepika Dudakia
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