With South Africa having one of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide, coupled with equally high statistics of people living with HIV (PLHIV), two of the biggest issues in reducing both these numbers are access and adherence to medication. But, Bizcommunity reports, Cipla South Africa has a solution: Cotrizid.
The report says the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) recently approved this innovative fixed-dose combination medicine, which combines sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, isoniazid and pyridoxine (vitamin B6) into a single tablet. The WHO recommends its use for up to three years for PLHIV living in high-risk TB communities.
This fixed-dose combination tablet is a unique first-to-market product in South Africa and helps to reduce the pill burden for PLHIV. A higher pill burden is associated with lower adherence rates and subsequently reduces the chances of achieving desired outcomes, including reduced TB prevalence and an undetectable HIV viral load.
The report says in recent trials, Cotrizid has shown notable efficacy in preventing TB, particularly during the crucial early months of HIV treatment, when the CD4 count is low and the risk of TB infection is highest. The REALITY study compared enhanced prophylaxis, including Cotrizid, with standard prophylaxis, both in combination with antiretroviral therapy for advanced HIV infection in Africa.
The outcome at 48 weeks indicated that this enhanced prophylaxis was associated with significantly lower rates of newly diagnosed TB as well as significantly lower rates of HIV/Aids complications and death.
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