Trends of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis in a reference laboratory in Central India: Forging ahead towards TB elimination.

Purpose: The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) of the Government of India has strived to control tuberculosis (TB) in the country through various interventions. Understanding the trends of resistance patterns may provide insights into the effectiveness of TB control activities in the country.

Methods: A total of 31,144 clinical samples were received from 2013 to 2022 from presumptive drug-resistant TB patients.

A Survey Evaluation of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy New Investigator Award Program.

Objective: Sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the New Investigator Award (NIA) provides start-up funding for the independent research programs of early-career faculty. However, there is limited information on outcomes. Thus, the objective was to determine the impact of the NIA program on the stimulation of recipient research programs and AACP involvement.

Comprehensive assessment of invalid and indeterminate results in Truenat MTB-RIF testing across sites under the national TB elimination program of India.

Introduction: Truenat MTB-RIF assay (Truenat), a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) chip-based assay that can detect () and rifampicin (RIF) drug resistance using portable, battery-operated devices. The National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) in India introduced this novel tool at the district and subdistrict level in 2020. This study aimed to assess the level and causes of inconclusive results (invalid results, errors, and indeterminate results) in MTB and RIF testing at NTEP sites and the root causes of these in the programmatic setting.

Experience of "One Stop TB Diagnostic Solution" Model in Engaging a Private Laboratory for End-to-End Diagnostic Services in the National TB Elimination Program in Hisar, India.

The complete diagnostic evaluation of tuberculosis based on its drug-resistance profile is critical for appropriate treatment decisions. The TB diagnostic landscape in India has been transformed with the scaling-up of WHO-recommended diagnostics, but challenges remain with specimen transportation, completing diagnostic assessment, turnaround time (TAT), and maintaining laboratories. Private laboratories have demonstrated efficiencies for specimen collection, transportation, and the timely testing and issue of results.

Heteroresistance to rifampicin & isoniazid in clinical samples of patients with presumptive drug-resistant tuberculosis in Central India.

Background & Objectives: A combination of resistant and susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolated from clinical specimens is referred to as heteroresistance. Heteroresistance leads to difficulties in drug resistance testing and may adversely affect treatment outcomes. The present study estimated the proportion of heteroresistance among MTB in clinical samples of presumptive drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) patients in Central India.

Estimation of tuberculosis incidence at subnational level using three methods to monitor progress towards ending TB in India, 2015-2020.

Objectives: We verified subnational (state/union territory (UT)/district) claims of achievements in reducing tuberculosis (TB) incidence in 2020 compared with 2015, in India.

Design: A community-based survey, analysis of programme data and anti-TB drug sales and utilisation data.

Setting: National TB Elimination Program and private TB treatment settings in 73 districts that had filed a claim to the Central TB Division of India for progress towards TB-free status.

Evolutionary journey of programmatic services and treatment outcomes among drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients under National TB Elimination Programme in India (2005-2020).

India, with one-fourth of global burden of tuberculosis as well as multidrug-resistant TB, made bold commitment to end TB by 2025. There is no documented comprehensive review of the evolutionary journey of India's DRTB service expansion and changes in the treatment outcome so far. The current document presents evolution and journey of programmatic services and the progress in treatment outcomes among DRTB patients since 2005 with efforts cum challenges in nationwide scale-up of evidence-based policies and services, opportunities and future prospects for universalizing quality care - an essential ingredient to end TB in India.

Burden of baseline resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectables in central India.

Background: Drug-resistant TB is a serious public health problem in India. Pre-existing resistance to fluoroquinolones (FQs) and second-line injectable drugs (SLIDs) in strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) resistant to rifampicin (RIF) and/or isoniazid (INH) contributes to treatment failures and consequent transmission of drug-resistant TB. A baseline assessment of resistance of MTB to FQs and SLIDs may help guide policies to further improve management of drug-resistant TB in India.

Report of the 2018-2019 Research and Graduate Affairs Committee.

The 2018-2019 Research and Graduate Affairs Committee (RGAC) was charged with critically evaluating the leadership development support necessary for pharmacy researchers, including postdoctoral trainees, to develop the skills needed to build and sustain successful research programs and analyzing how well those needs are being met by existing programs both within AACP and at other organizations. The RGAC identified a set of skills that could reasonably be expected to provide the necessary foundation to successfully lead a research team and mapped these skills to the six domains of graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences established by the 2016-2017 RGAC (Table 1). In addition, the RGAC identified competency in team science and the bench-to-bedside-to-beyond translational spectrum as being critical elements of research leadership.

Pegvaliase: a novel treatment option for adults with phenylketonuria.

Objective: In May 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration approved pegvaliase-pqpz (Palynziq*), the first enzyme substitution therapy for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). This article provides an overview of the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties, clinical efficacy, and the safety and tolerability profile of pegvaliase.

Methods: Relevant information was identified through a comprehensive literature search of several databases using the keywords pegvaliase, rAvPAL-PEG, and phenylketonuria.

Public health relevance of non-tuberculous mycobacteria among AFB positive sputa.

Background: Sputum smear microscopy for acid fast bacilli (AFB) is used by most public health programmes to detect tuberculosis. While most AFB in countries endemic for tuberculosis are (MTB), some may also be non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The inability to differentiate NTM from MTB by sputum smear microscopy may lead to erroneous diagnoses of tuberculosis, leading in turn to inappropriate therapy.

Formulation and characterization of an apigenin-phospholipid phytosome (APLC) for improved solubility, in vivo bioavailability, and antioxidant potential.

The apigenin-phospholipid phytosome (APLC) was developed to improve the aqueous solubility, dissolution, in vivo bioavailability, and antioxidant activity of apigenin. The APLC synthesis was guided by a full factorial design strategy, incorporating specific formulation and process variables to deliver an optimized product. The design-optimized formulation was assayed for aqueous solubility, in vitro dissolution, pharmacokinetics, and antioxidant activity.

Proteogenomic analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by high resolution mass spectrometry.

The genome sequencing of H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was completed in 1998 followed by the whole genome sequencing of a clinical isolate, CDC1551 in 2002. Since then, the genomic sequences of a number of other strains have become available making it one of the better studied pathogenic bacterial species at the genomic level. However, annotation of its genome remains challenging because of high GC content and dissimilarity to other model prokaryotes.