Archivel Farma's TB Vaccine May Significantly Cut Treatment Time

Archivel Farma's (Badalona, Spain) treatment for tuberculosis (TB) will shortly start Phase 2 clinical trials. The treatment uses a combination of the company's novel therapeutic vaccine called RUTI in conjunction with an antibiotic. It has the potential to cut treatment time from nine months to one month, which reduces side effects and healthcare costs, by preventing re-infection during the eradication process.

Archivel's two-pronged approach to combating latent TB infection (LTBI) combines a one-month course of antibiotic to eliminate the bacteria in the replicating stage and two injections of the company's RUTI vaccine that stimulates the body's own immune system to fight the bacteria. This combination approach reduces the treatment time from nine months to one, is easier to manage, less expensive, and is more likely to be administered completely. The company estimates that cost comparison between the current and new treatment means that the new treatment costs around half that of the old treatment.

RUTI is a polyantigenic vaccine for the treatment of LTBI. It is a therapeutic vaccine, i.e., it stimulates an immediate immune response by the body to kill the TB. Additional trials will be required to see if it conveys any lasting protection from further infections. It is produced from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the strain that produces TB. The bacteria is fragmented into tiny particles so there are no live bacteria and detoxified to eliminate the toxic substances produced by the bacteria.