22 Nov 2023 • New research, presented at the Union World Conference in Paris, found that in children and adolescents exposed to an adult with MDR-TB in their household, levofloxacin reduced the risk of MDR-TB disease by 56%.

Participants received oral levofloxacin once a day for 6 months or placebo. The study also found that levofloxacin was safe for children, with very few side effects reported.

These results from the TB-CHAMP and V-QUIN trials provide evidence that levofloxacin can prevent people with early infection from developing MDR-TB. This will help protect against the social and financial consequences of drug-resistant TB, as well as the risk to physical health.

In December 2023, an advisory committee of the World Health Organization will consider new guidelines for MDR-TB preventative treatment. The data from the TB-CHAMP and the VQUIN trials are being shared to inform how these deliberations produce new recommendations for children and adolescents.

Source: UCL News | Read full story