Antitubercular activity of disulfiram, an antialcoholism drug, against multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates.

The antimycobacterial activities of disulfiram (DSF) and diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) against multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB) clinical isolates were evaluated in vitro. Both DSF and DDC exhibited potent antitubercular activities against 42 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, including MDR/XDR-TB strains. Moreover, DSF showed remarkable bactericidal activity ex vivo and in vivo. Therefore, DSF might be a drug repurposed for the treatment of MDR/XDR-TB.