Bridging Gaps in the Tuberculosis Therapeutics Market through Precision Delivery
Key Highlights
- Wits researchers developed an inhalable nanosystem delivering TB medication directly to infected lung tissue.
- By bypassing the bloodstream, this therapy increases drug concentration while minimizing traditional treatment toxicity.
- This breakthrough targets a 90 percent reduction in TB deaths by the year 2030.
Researchers at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) in Johannesburg announced on April 10, 2026, the development of a pioneering inhalable nanosystem designed to deliver tuberculosis (TB) medication directly to infected lung tissue.
This breakthrough is expected to reshape the tuberculosis therapeutics market by offering a high-precision alternative to standard oral treatments. By targeting the infection at its source, the team aims to meet ambitious global targets to reduce TB deaths by 90 percent by 2030.
The technology utilizes a biocompatible nanocarrier to package four essential TB drugs such as rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide, into one formulation. By delivering medication via inhalation, the system bypasses the liver and bloodstream, ensuring higher drug concentrations reach the site of infection.
“TB hides in lung pockets where oral drugs can’t reach,” explained Lindokuhle Ngema, a member of the research team.
Traditional treatments involve a six-month oral course that often leads to severe side effects and patient non-adherence. This new method aims to solve those issues by delivering the dose directly from the bronchi to the alveoli.
“Precision nanomedicine allows us to treat smarter and faster,” stated researcher Yahya Choonara, emphasizing the shift away from traditional delivery. The project was conceptualized at WADDP with support from RWTH Aachen University Hospital and is now moving toward clinical application.
Scientists are currently collaborating with the Nuclear Medicine Research Institute to track particle movement using advanced imaging. Researchers believe this targeted approach could finally overcome the challenges of drug-resistant strains and prolonged recovery periods.
