New drug used to treat common infection

A new treatment combination for Helicobacter pylori — a common stomach bacterium linked to ulcers and gastritis — based on a domestically developed drug has shown comparable, and in some cases superior, efficacy in eradicating the infection compared with standard therapy, according to recent clinical research.

The therapy offers a promising new approach to tackling the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance, said the study published in the international journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases in late September.

The experimental triple therapy centers on rifasutenizol, a novel antimicrobial agent developed specifically for H. pylori infection by Tennor Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Researchers from the gastroenterology department at Peking University Third Hospital conducted a Phase 3 clinical trial to compare the new regimen's efficacy and safety with a conventional quadruple therapy containing bismuth potassium citrate. The study involved 700 infected patients beginning treatment.

Results showed that the infection eradication rate achieved by the triple therapy was not inferior to that of the quadruple therapy.

Notably, the new treatment demonstrated superior efficacy in patients with multidrug-resistant infections and was associated with a lower incidence of clinical adverse reactions.

"Rifasutenizol represents a promising addition to the existing options for tackling antimicrobial resistance, and RTT (the triple therapy) represents a promising first-line treatment option for Helicobacter pylori infection," the study said.

In China, the H. pylori infection rate is about 40 to 50 percent.

Because the bacterial infection can lead to ulcers and gastric cancers, deploying effective treatments is considered a key measure to help reduce the incidence of stomach cancer, which accounts for about 12 percent of all cancer-related deaths in China.

Song Zhiqiang, deputy head of the gastroenterology department at the hospital and a lead author of the study, said the bacterium is generally highly sensitive to the novel drug, which also exhibits an excellent safety profile.

"Rifasutenizol is expected to effectively address the problem of treatment inefficacy and significantly improve the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori infections," he said.