A new approach to tuberculosis treatment in Benin reduces treatment duration to four months

Daniel Atwine, a researcher at the Institute for Research and Development, has demonstrated that a high dosage of rifampicin can reduce the duration of tuberculosis treatment to three or four months, providing an effective alternative in the face of growing resistance. This research, validated by ABES/STAR, included 300 patients in the RIFATOX clinical trial.

Tuberculosis remains a major public health issue in Africa, with millions of new cases each year. The standard six-month treatment poses adherence problems, promoting the emergence of resistant strains. Daniel Atwine's research, in collaboration with IRD and INSERM, explores a solution by increasing the dosage of rifampicin, aiming to reduce treatment duration.

In clinical trials, 300 patients were included to assess the safety of high-dose rifampicin. Preliminary results show that this approach could reduce treatment duration to three or four months while maintaining comparable efficacy, which could transform tuberculosis management in contexts with limited access to care.

The implications of this research are significant for decision-makers and health systems. By optimizing tuberculosis treatments, it is possible to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient adherence. Investors should consider this opportunity to support the development of shorter and more effective treatments, responding to a growing market demand.

« « By increasing the dose of rifampicin, we observed encouraging results that could reduce the treatment duration to three or four months, » says Daniel Atwine. »

« « This research opens new perspectives for access to effective treatments against tuberculosis, a crucial issue for public health decision-makers, » emphasizes the Lektaris team. »