Cipla gets WHO approval to sell TB preventing drug in HIV patients

New Delhi: Drug major Cipla said it has received approval from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Q-TIB, a combination drug indicated to help prevent tuberculosis infection in people living with HIV.

Q-TIB is a novel fixed-dose combination in a single tablet and it is for the first time that such a combination has been made available in the world.

The company will market the product globally, Cipla said in a statement.

Q-TIB will help prevent tuberculosis infection in people living with HIV as they face a challenged immune system and are prone to infections, which constitute the major source of premature deaths among them.

As per WHO's Global TB Report, 2016, about one million people died of AIDS-related illness. Most of them succumbed to infections, and among them, 4 lakh died of tuberculosis.