UT Tyler Professor Advancing Treatment for Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Lung Disease

Shashikant Srivastava, PhD

Dr. Shashikant Srivastava, a University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine associate professor, advanced an oral antibiotic for the treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease.

The bacteria, Mycobacterium abscessus, belongs to group of nontuberculous mycobacteria and is naturally resistant to many antibiotics. Current treatment including injectable drugs is associated with adverse side effects and therapy can last from months to years.

Dr. Srivastava, working with a team of researchers, is exploring omadacycline as a possible treatment option for Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease. Their model predicted omadacycline dose in combination with other drugs could potentially cure over 90% of patients, even patients who had previously failed standard treatments, and cause no severe side effects.