Antimycobacterials
The long war on tuberculosis and leprosy — and why they take so many drugs, for so long.
Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs: The RIPE Regimen
Why does a single infection need FOUR drugs taken faithfully for SIX months, when a sore throat is cured in a week with one? Tuberculosis is a uniquely stubborn foe — slow, armoured, and hiding — and the strange, demanding regimen we use against it is the product of hard-won lessons. Master why it's built the way it is, and the four drugs and their toxicities fall neatly into place (and yes — the orange urine is normal).
Drug-Resistant TB, Leprosy & Atypical Mycobacteria
What happens when the two best tuberculosis drugs stop working — because a patient couldn't finish their treatment? The answer is drug-resistant TB, a slow-motion catastrophe requiring years of harsh, toxic drugs. And the same family of stubborn, waxy-walled bacteria causes two other ancient scourges — leprosy and the infections that stalk the immunocompromised — each demanding, once again, a long combination of drugs.
