A Note on Derivatives of Isoniazid, Rifampicin, and Pyrazinamide Showing Activity Against Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a serious problem that impedes the success of the TB control program. Of note, multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB have certainly complicated the scenario. One of the possible strategies to overcome drug resistance in an economic and simple manner would involve modification of existing anti-TB drugs to obtain derivatives that can work on resistant TB bacilli. These may have improved half-life and increased bioavailability, be more efficacious, and serve as cost-effective alternatives, as compared to new drugs identified through conventional methods of drug discovery and development. Although extensive literature is available on the activity of various derivatives of first-line drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide) on drug-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), reports on the activity of derivatives on resistant MTB are very limited, to our knowledge. In light of this, the present review aims to provide a concise report on the derivatives of first-line drugs that have the potential to overcome the resistance to the parental drug and could thus serve as effective alternatives.