A*STAR discovers anti-diabetic drug Metformin could also treat tuberculosis

Use of old drugs for new therapies is becoming a trend.

A more effective treatment for tuberculosis (TB) could soon be available as scientists have discovered that Metformin (MET), a drug for treating diabetes, can also be used to boost the efficacy of TB medication without inducing drug resistance.

This discovery was made by a team of international scientists led by the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.

Even though drugs are available to treat the disease, TB continues to be a major threat to public health, killing close to 1.5 million people every year.

Here’s more from A*STAR:

“Using MET as an adjunct treatment for TB is very promising since this drug interferes with the biochemical pathway essential for the bacteria’s survival and does not promote the development of drug resistance. MET is also a very cheap and safe drug with no adverse effect on non-diabetic patients. This would likely shorten clinical trials and we are confident that a better and affordable TB treatment will be made available soon,” said lead scientists Dr Amit Singhal, Project Leader and Prof Gennaro De Libero, Principal Investigator at SIgN.

Professor Laurent Renia, Executive Director of SIgN, said, “The use of old drugs for new therapies is exciting. This study is an excellent example of innovation, made possible because of the closely knitted scientific and clinical communities in Singapore. By collaborating with our clinical partners, we are able to translate our research findings from the bench-to-bedside and ultimately impact the lives of people.”