Evening star., 1950-04-25
tuberculosis Group
Warns Against Use
OF New Drug, TB-1
By George Beveridee

A strong warning against gen.
eral use of TB-1. a drug which
shows promise in the treatment of
tuberculosis. was issued today by
officials of the National Tubercu-
losis Association.
At the second session of the
NTA's annual conference at the
Hotel Statler a committee on med
ical research said doctors using
the drug in recent months have
been forced to discontinue use in
about Is per cent of cases because
of harmful effects.
TB-1, also known as Tibione or
Myvizone, was used extensively in
Germany during the war to treat
certain forms of tuberculosis. It
was first described in this country
a a promising drug about four
months ago.
Toxic Effects Cited.
The warning today said that un-
til further investigation" the drug
should be used only by doctors
who are experienced in the field
of tuberculosis and on patients in
hospitals in which there are ade-
quate laboratory facilities for the
early detection of changes in the
blood and other organs of the
body"
An important. tightly controlled
scientific study hasSfurnished new.
proof of the value of the drug.
Streptomycin, in treating pulmo-
nary tuberculosis, a noted author
ity on the disease reported earlier.
First results of the study, di-
rected by the National Institutes
of Health, were unveiled by DR..
Esmond R. Long of New York,
head of the NH tuberculosis Sec
tion's steering committee.
While there have been many
reports of the drugs value. DR..
Long explained, the tightly con-
trolled study was needed because
action of the disease varies so
widely that further evidence of
improvement or cure was essen
tial before acceptance of currently
available data as proof of the
effect of the drug"
551 Patients Selected.
Before the study. he said, there
was no proof of how much of the
improvement in patients who re-
ceived streptomycin would have
occurred if they had not had the
drug.
So 551 patients were carefully
chosen for care by IL different
scientists. including DR.. Howard
Payne, of Freedmen's Hospital.
Some of them received one gram
of streptomycin daily for 81 days,
plus whatever other treatment was
indicated. The others received
any treatment doctors thought
necessary, except with streptomy-
Gin or other drugs.
Without exception, DR.. Long re-
ported. improvements in fever,
body weight, amount of sputum,
presence of bacteria and X-ray
changes were greater in the group
that got streptomycin.
Accent On Carriers.
Addressing the District Tuber-
culosis Associations annual. meet
ing yesterday, DR.. David T. Smith,
MIA president, said medical
science doesn't need to know any
more than We know now to elimi-
nate tuberculosis"
He said the disease now is in
the same category as was typhoid
fever so years ago and that the &C
cent must be placed on treatment
of carriers spreading tuberculosis.
tuberculosis death rates already
have dropped sharply, he added,
urging "a change in emphasis
from the number who die to the
number who are now suffering
from the diesase."
Elected for three-year terms to
the District groups board of di-
rectorS were Bernard L. Amiss,
Charles E. Bish, Laurence M.
Blumenfeld, Clarence w. Davis,
DR.. Frederick c. Fishback, DR..
Thelma Hunt. Andrew Lindsay, DR..
Wilder P. Montgomery. Barry Sui
livan and Janet Walker. Elected
for two-year terms were DR.. Rob-
ert A. Bier and Miss Flora Brown