FTOX019 Pharmacokinetic of a new chemical delivery system candidate designed for tuberculous meningitis treatment in rats

Abstract

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in humans. The therapeutic scheme used for TBM is ethambutol (ETB) always associated with other antituberculous drugs. Despite being useful for its mechanism of action, ETB does not cross the blood-brain barrier satisfactorily, which certainly reduces its effectiveness in the treatment, leading to side effects and bacterial resistance. That is why it was prepared an ethambutol prodrug (DEREMB) by a chemical delivery system (CDS) aiming at improving its kinetic disposition, leading to an increase in the drug availability in the central nervous system (CNS), minimizing side effects with increased efficacy. The DEREMB pharmacokinetics is indispensable to determine its clinical potential for the treatment of TBM.