REVIEW ON DELAMANID: A NEW EMA APPROVED DRUG FOR MULTI-DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS

Tuberculosis is emerging globally with an estimated prevalence of 8.7 million cases annually and 1.4 million deaths. The disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Since it is highly drug recessive, treatment is at the peak of threat and development of drugs against multi-drug resistant TB is still in progress. Management of tuberculosis seems more challenging when the patient develops drug resistant TB and with coexisting HIV. Despite the rise in incidence of MDR-TB worldwide over the past few decades, no TB specific drug has been discovered in last 40 years. Emergence of some new anti-tubercular drugs is a scope as they promise high efficiency and shortens the duration of treatment. Delamanid is one of such promising drug. High potency, least chance of drug-drug interactions, better toxicity profile, and post antibiotic effect against intracellular bacilli are the advantages with Delamanid which will be helpful in reducing the treatment duration and risk of toxicity in MDR-TB. Delamanid appeared to be a safe drug with less side effects. EMA has issued a conditional marketing authorization for Delamanid. It should be used as a part of an appropriate combination regimen for pulmonary MDR-TB in adult patients in whom the current approved regimen cannot be used because of resistance or intolerability. The emergence of this new drug can improve treatment status of TB and thus a hope for the better control of the disease. Key Words: Mycobacterium, Anti-Tubercular drugs, Delamanid, MDR- TB