Mission end TB: NARI-ICMR moves ahead with phase 3 trials for world’s first TB vaccine
If ready, the TB vaccine could pave the way for India’s mission to eradicate TB by 2025
In a breakthrough for eradication of tuberculosis, the Pune-based National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is moving forward with phase 3 trials for a vaccine for TB in healthy household contacts or newly diagnosed positive pulmonary TB patients.
Two vaccines are being looked as potential vaccines for TB: VPM1002 and Immuvac. The trials are being done in 18 sites in six Indian states, of which two sites are in Pune-based NARI. If these vaccines prove to be effective, then, India will be the first in the world to create a vaccine for TB.
The 1593 participants were enrolled through a randomised procedure and they will be followed for 38 months. Children above six years are also part of these clinical trials.
“We are working as one of the sites for the ICMR initiative TB vaccine trials. The TB trial for vaccines will have two different vaccines and there will also be a placebo. We have already completed enrollments. It is being given to high-risk contacts of diagnosed TB patients, particularly those who have been diagnosed recently with their family members living in close proximity,” said Dr Sheela Godbole, scientist and nodal officer for communications at NARI- ICMR, Pune.
With this, NARI is also evaluating shorter oral regimens for multi-drug resistant TB with medicines sans frontiers as collaborators.
In one of the trials to evaluate Metformin when given along with regular TB treatment among adults with newly diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary TB, it was found that Metformin did not reduce the time required for sputum culture to become negative and hence was ineffective in the treatment of TB.
Dr Godbole said there are a few studies that are being planned to identify cases in the community as well.
HIV TREATMENT AND TB
Since NARI is predominantly an AIDS research institute, studies are being done to assess treatment of HIV to the occurrence of TB. In an ongoing study, factors associated with adherence among HIV infected patients attending ART centres are being studied.
It has been found that there is deterrence of the development of TB among people living with HIV on anti-HIV medications at ART Center.
NARI also plans to begin studies on viral load monitoring of people with HIV as well.
Source: India Today
