Will a biologic therapy targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis be tested in humans before 2038?

Among the many challenges of tuberculosis elimination, multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) are major concerns in areas of very severe TB incidence, especially in countries of the former Soviet Union, South and central Asia. There is also particular concern for cities, a major issue in an increasingly urbanizing world.

One possible tool in alleviating the problem of antimicrobial resistance includes biologic therapies. According to Rivas-Santiago et al., antimicrobial peptides “have demonstrated remarkable efficacy to kill mycobacteria in vitro and in vivo in experimental models”. Dijksteel et al. provide an overview of all clinical trials and therapeutic uses of biologic therapies in humans in Table 1 of their article, but none specifically target TB as of the article publication on February 22, 2021.