Cipla plans to approve a drug Q-TIB in South Africa for the treatment of tuberculosis in HIV-positive people

The pharmaceutical company Cipla announced its intention to approve in South Africa a drug Q-TIB, intended for the treatment of co-infection of tuberculosis in people living with HIV. According to the company, Q-TIB is a 3-in-1 combination of co-trimoxazole, isoniazid and vitamin B6 at a fixed dosage.

Dr. Nic de Jongh, Chief Scientific Officer at Cipla, told reporters that the new drug combines the WHO recommended and effective low-cost anti-tuberculosis therapy, including the antibacterial co-trimoxazole (includes sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim), isoniazid and vitamin B6, allowing prevention of side effects associated with isoniazid.

According to Dr. de Jong, the combined Q-TIB will significantly increase adherence to treatment among HIV-positive patients with tuberculosis and improve their quality of life.

According to WHO, in 2017 in South Africa, more than 100 thousand deaths of people living with HIV and tuberculosis were registered. This is almost 70% more than among those who did not have the virus. At the same time, experts believe, in about 59% of cases the cause of tuberculosis was HIV infection.