Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Mumbai Doctors Cure Drug-resistant TB Patient

by Shirley Johanna on Mar 20 2015 7:40 PM

A new drug called bedaquiline cured the drug-resistant tuberculosis (XXDR TB) in a HIV positive patient in Mumbai.

Mumbai Doctors Cure Drug-resistant TB Patient
Doctors in Mumbai cured a patient who suffered from drug-resistant tuberculosis (XXDR TB).
A tailor from Mumbai, who was suffering from XXDR TB and also HIV, has been declared free of the drug-resistant TB bacillus. Dr. Zarir Udwadia, chest physician, said “His tests have repeatedly shown that he is free of the bacillus.”

A total of 12 patients were initially diagnosed with XXDR, six out of 12 died within the few months of diagnosis. According to BMC officials, the remaining six XXDR TB patients are doing well.

Dr Minni Khetrapal, TB officer, said, “Apart from them, we have 374 patients who suffered from MDR (multi-drug resistant TB) and XDR (extensively drug-resistant TB) in the last three years but have been cured.”

Dr.Udwadia, said, “The HIV-positive tailor who suffered TB for three years was resistant to 12 anti-TB medicines, he got cured due to a new drug called bedaquiline.”

Bedaquiline drug has not yet been approved for sale in India but NGOs such as Medecins Sans Frontieres have been campaigning for the drug availability in India.



Advertisement


Source-Medindia


Advertisement