Preclinical development of long-acting injectable antibiotic gels for the pharmacotherapy of drug-resistant tuberculosis

The project was initiated to tackle the public health crisis posed by the emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which is more challenging to treat than drug-sensitive TB and typically requires longer treatment regimens (i.e., > 18 months). Treating MDR-TB involves daily medication usage (either as oral tablets, capsules, liquids or injections) making adherence to treatment difficult for patients thus leading to a significant reduction in therapeutic success. The study aims to develop a long-acting injectable formulation (LA-IF) containing two leading TB antibiotics — levofloxacin and linezolid. The proposed LA-IF will reduce the burden of daily pills, minimize dosing frequency, decrease administration pain/discomfort to the bare minimum, enhance patient compliance and recovery, augment clinical outcomes and ultimately improve patient wellbeing. The project is expected to foster ongoing collaborations between the home and host institution, paving the way for future joint research initiatives. Additionally, the development of more effective drug products could have substantial economic benefits for Canada through the creation of opportunities for commercialization. It is envisioned that this project will advance expertise, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, promote synergistic knowledge generation, human capacity development and innovation in the Canadian pharmaceutical/biomedical sector. These activities will improve Canada’s stature within the global research community.

Faculty Supervisor:

Oluwatoyin Adeleke

Student:

Partner:

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Pharmaceuticals

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: