Trecator (Ethionamide) - Summary

TRECATOR SUMMARY

Trecator® (ethionamide tablets, USP) is used in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Trecator-SC (ethionamide) is primarily indicated for the treatment of active tuberculosis in patients with M. tuberculosis resistant to isoniazid or rifampin, or when there is intolerance on the part of the patient to other drugs. Its use alone in the treatment of tuberculosis results in the rapid development of resistance. It is essential, therefore, to give a suitable companion drug or drugs, the choice being based on the results of susceptibility tests. If the susceptibility tests indicate that the patient's organism is resistant to one of the first-line antituberculosis drugs (i.e., isoniazid or rifampin) yet susceptible to ethionamide, ethionamide should be accompanied by at least one drug to which the M. tuberculosis isolate is known to be susceptible.⁶ If the tuberculosis is resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin, yet susceptible to ethionamide, ethionamide should be accompanied by at least two other drugs to which the M. tuberculosis isolate is known to be susceptible.⁶

Patient nonadherence to prescribed treatment can result in treatment failure and in the development of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which can be life-threatening and lead to other serious health risks. It is, therefore, essential that patients adhere to the drug regimen for the full duration of treatment. Directly observed therapy is recommended for all patients receiving treatment for tuberculosis. Patients in whom drug-resistant M. tuberculosis organisms are isolated should be managed in consultation with an expert in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Media Articles Related to Trecator (Ethionamide)

Tuberculosis Pathogen Proteome Atlas
Source: Health News from Medical News Today [2013.05.17]
Photographers know the problem all too well: with the naked eye, you can see which branch a bird is sitting on, but spotting the bird in the blur of branches through the telephoto lens for high-magnification images requires considerable skill. It is a similar story for researchers who are looking to study proteins, the active biomolecules of cells. Olga Schubert, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich's Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, and her colleagues have now come up with a search aid...

Rapid, Accurate Diagnosis Of Tuberculosis And Other Bacterial Infections Using Portable Device
Source: Medical Devices / Diagnostics News From Medical News Today [2013.05.08]
A handheld diagnostic device that Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators first developed to diagnose cancer has been adapted to rapidly diagnose tuberculosis (TB) and other important infectious bacteria...

'Alarming' Rise Seen in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
Source: MedicineNet Tuberculosis Specialty [2012.08.31]
Title: 'Alarming' Rise Seen in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
Category: Health News
Created: 8/30/2012 2:05:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 8/31/2012 12:00:00 AM

Tuberculosis
Source: MedicineNet Neutropenia Specialty [2011.07.22]
Title: Tuberculosis
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/22/2011 12:00:00 AM

A Step Closer To Understanding Why Antibiotics Are Ineffective Against Certain Types Of Bacteria
Source: MRSA / Drug Resistance News From Medical News Today [2013.04.26]
Antibiotic resistance is a global problem. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that for tuberculosis alone multi-drug resistance accounts for more than 150,000 deaths each year. WHO warns of "a doomsday scenario of a world without antibiotics," in which antibiotic resistance will turn common infections into incurable killers and make routine surgeries a high-risk gamble...

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Published Studies Related to Trecator (Ethionamide)

A clinical trial of ethionamide and prothionamide for treatment of lepromatous leprosy. [2006.03]
In 1982-1984 we conducted a six-month clinical trial in 50 previously untreated lepromatous leprosy patients randomly assigned to directly observed monotherapy with one of two thioamides, ethionamide or prothionamide, each given six times a week at doses of either 250 mg or 500 mg... leprae in this study was found to be similar to that obtained previously with dapsone and clofazimine, but less than was obtained with rifampin, minocycline, clarithromycin, pefloxacin, and ofloxacin.

Pharmacokinetics of ethionamide administered under fasting conditions or with orange juice, food, or antacids. [2001.03]
This study was conducted in order to (i) determine the effect of food, orange juice, or antacids on the absorption of a single oral 500-mg dose of ethionamide (ETA) in healthy volunteers, including an assessment of bioequivalence, and (ii) determine ETA population pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters...

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ethionamide suppositories. [1991]
The absorption and elimination of ethionamide (ETA) after oral tablets and rectal suppositories were determined in 12 healthy, adult male volunteers. A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, crossover design was used... Higher doses of ETA and serum concentration monitoring are recommended whenever the suppositories are used.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution studies of orally administered nanoparticles encapsulated ethionamide used as potential drug delivery system in management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. [2011.01]
Sustained release nanoformulations of second line anti-tubercular drugs can help in reducing their dosing frequency and improve patient's compliance in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). The objective of the current study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissues distribution of ethionamide encapsulated in poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles...

Ethionamide cross- and co-resistance in children with isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis. [2009.11]
BACKGROUND: Ethionamide (ETH) is a structural analogue of isoniazid (INH). Both are pro-drugs requiring activation by separate and common enzyme pathways, which could lead to co- and/or cross-resistance. OBJECTIVE: To characterise paediatric INH-resistant mycobacterial isolates to investigate the presence of ETH resistance and mutations in the katG gene and the inhA promoter region... CONCLUSION: We found a high level of cross- and co-resistance with ETH among INH-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates from children in this geographic area.

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Clinical Trials Related to Trecator (Ethionamide)

A Prospective Study of Multidrug Resistance and a Pilot Study of the Safety of and Clinical and Microbiologic Response to Levofloxacin in Combination With Other Antimycobacterial Drugs for Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis (MDRTB) in HIV-Infected Patients. [Completed]
To determine the demographic, behavioral, clinical, and geographic risk factors associated with the occurrence of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDRTB). To evaluate the clinical and microbiological responses and overall survival of MDRTB patients who are treated with levofloxacin-containing multiple-drug regimens chosen from a hierarchical list. Per 9/28/94 amendment, to assess whether persistent or recurrent positive sputum cultures of patients who show failure or relapse are due to the same strain or reinfection with a new strain.

Among TB patients, there has been an increase in progressive disease due to the emergence of antimycobacterial drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Failure to identify patients at high risk for MDRTB increases the hazard for both treatment failure and development of resistance to additional therapeutic agents. Efforts to improve survival in patients with MDRTB will depend on improved methods of assessing the risk of acquisition of MDRTB and identifying drug susceptibility patterns in a timely fashion.

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