Scientists have said a new drug could help tackle the problem of drug-resistant typhoid in developing nations.

Nepalese researchers claim Gatifloxacin is more effective at treating the illness, as well as being cheaper, than the drug currently recommended by the World Health Organisation.

A study published in the PloS One journal today states that the use of the drug in patients in Patan Hospital Lalitpur in Kathmandu resulted in improved treatment rates; a claim backed up by accompanying research conducted by the Oxford University clinical research unit in Vietnam.

Background material in the Kathmandu study argues that drug-resistant typhoid has become a "major problem", with patients now "taking longer to recover, suffering more complications and continuing to spread the disease to their family and to their community".

There are more than 22 million reported cases of typhoid every year, with 200,000 deaths as a result.

Dr Buddha Basnyat, senior investigator on the study, explained: "The currently recommended treatment, Cefixime, is relatively expensive and must be administered for a longer duration than is ideal. Clearly there is an urgent need for a treatment that is cost-effective and easy to administer.

"We have shown that Gatifloxacin may be better than an established drug used by many doctors around the world," says Dr Basnyat. "There is currently no resistance to the drug, and at just over $1 (50p) for a seven day treatment course is relatively inexpensive."

Commenting on the findings, Professor Jeremy Farrar from the Oxford University clinical research unit in Vietnam added: "This is an important study with major implications for treating disease widespread in the developing world.

"It also shows the major contribution that clinical investigators in Nepal, with the experience and knowledge gained from access to thousands of patients, can help make to improving treatment for our patients and to global health."

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