A fluoroquinolone known as moxifloxacin may be superior to two other commonly used fluoroquinolones, according to computer simulation data outlined in a paper in PLOS Computational Biology.

Tuberculosis requires at least 6 months of treatment with multiple drugs. This treatment can include one of three fluoroquinolones: moxifloxacin (MOXI), levofloxacin (LEVO), or gatifloxacin (GATI). However, existing data from clinical trials and animal studies are inadequate to determine which is best or if all three are equivalent.

Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Rutgers University in New Jersey developed a computer model to simulate the effects of the three drugs on granulomas — clusters of host cells and bacteria that develop in the lungs of tuberculosis patients.

The research team used the computer model to simulate treatment with each of the three drugs and compared them according to multiple criteria.

Read the results of the study at www.medicalnewstoday.com