The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

Recent work by Woolcock researchers in collaboration with their Vietnamese partners is being hailed as a major step forward in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis.

It’s the continuation of a collaboration started in 2009 by Professor Guy Marks AM and Professor Greg Fox which has grown to include 135 clinics across Vietnam working together to find effective ways to eradicate the disease. In 2022 they, alongside Dr Thu-Anh Nguyen, were awarded a Ho Chi Minh Scientific Prize in health care for their work, the first time this prestigious prize was awarded to a team including researchers from outside Vietnam.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that affects more than 10 million people each year. Cases are on the increase globally, South East Asia (with a quarter of the world’s population) has 45 percent of cases and Vietnam has one the highest burdens with more than 100,000 new cases each year.

Professors Marks and Fox’s work over the past 15 years has contributed to government policy changes direct at fighting TB and led to the implementation of active case finding throughout Vietnam, and in many other high burden countries, saving thousands of lives.

LOCAL ACTION, GLOBAL IMPACT

This latest study found that an oral antibiotic taken for six months halves the rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in high-risk populations. Called The VQUIN Trial, the study involved more than 2000 adults and children who were given either a six-month course of levofloxacin or a placebo, then monitored for 30 months. There were 45 percent fewer cases of TB in the group given levofloxacin compared to the placebo group and the drug was found to be safe and well-tolerated in both adults and children.

In September 2024, the World Health Organization issued new global guidelines for treatment of drug-resistant TB infection based on its findings.

Lead investigator Professor Greg Fox said: “We now have a way of stopping people with early TB infection from becoming sick and spreading their infection to other people. This evidence changes the way we care for people at risk of drug-resistant TB in Australia and globally. The benefits to the families and communities at risk of MDR-TB is substantial.”

AHEAD OF THE SPREAD

TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. MDR-TB, a form of TB resistant to key antibiotics which affects 400,000 people annually, remains one of the top causes of death in children globally and is one of the top killers of children below five years of age. Preventing its spread is critical as treatment options are limited, and outcomes for MDR-TB patients are often poor.

“MDR-TB is one of the most challenging diseases to cure, and children have always been the most neglected patients,” said Professor Ben Marais, co-Principal Investigator from VQUIN TB-CHAMP from The University of Sydney. “By finding a way to protect vulnerable family members safe, we help the whole family recover from the effects of MDR-TB. There are not just health benefits, but also economic and mental health benefits.”

The study underscores the importance of proactive measures, such as preventive treatment and early detection, to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases which are increasing globally. Its findings are significant to public health efforts in South East Asia, in Australia and worldwide.

Find out more

• Welcome to the Woolcock Clinic
• Woolcock Vietnam
• Professor Greg Fox