Following a four-year clinical study on patients, experts have developed effective drugs for visceral leishmaniasis, better known as kala-azar.
The drugs are basically combinations of three different drugs - AmBisome, Paromycin and Miltofosine.
The combination of AmBisome and Paromycin was found to be the most effective solution with a 100% success rate. The other two combinations – Paromycin-Miltofosine and AmBisome-Miltofosine – showed a 95-98% success rate.
Findings of the study, conducted from 2010 to 2014 on over 600 patients in Trishal, Bhaluka and Gafargaon, were unveiled on Wednesday at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.
As part of the study, healthcare professionals kept the patients under observation for six months after treating them with the drugs.
Prof Dr Ridwanur Rahman, chief of the researchers, told the Dhaka Tribune that a single doze of AmBisome had so far been the only treatment for kala-azar in the country.
Health Minister Mohammed Nasim admitted budget shortage and little efforts to conduct clinical study of kala-azar in the country.
“However, the latest findings will lead to more such studies in the future,” he added.
Dr Rashidul Hoque, another member of the team, told the Dhaka Tribune the number of kala-azar patients in the country is below 2,000 at present.
“All of them now get a single doze of AmBisome for free. Introduction of the combination drugs in the future will open new avenues of treatment of the disease,” he added.
Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Communicable Disease Control under the health directorate and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh jointly carried out the study.
