Researchers are poised to test what may be the third drug approved for tuberculosis in 60 years, the Guardian reported last week.

TB affects Latinos and Hispanics disproportionately higher in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control.

In 2011, Hispanics and Latinos were 29 percent of all TB cases nationally.

The TB Alliance has been working on a new drug PaMZ, which combines three drugs -- two of which have not been previously licensed, the Guardian reported.

The drug was first unveiled at the International Aids Conference in Melbourne, Australia, and has been developed by South African researchers, Star Africa reported.

Current standards of TB drugs are administered over a six-month period, but PaMZ would only require four months.

A study by scientists at South Africa's University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and University of the Free State revealed that PaMZ killed TB bacteria twice as fast as other drugs, after only two months, Star Africa reported.

TB can be multi-drug resistent, and about 10 percent of patients with that type of TB were used in the tests.

About 70 percent of patients using the new drug had no TB in their sputum after two months, which was equal to only 50 percent of patients who were given standard treatments, according to the study, Star Africa reported.

Additionally, PaMZ can be administered alongside anti-retrovirals for those on HIV and Aids treatment.

Benefits to patients are also reasons the new drug is promising for scientists, the Guardian reported.

PaMZ will reduce the treatment duration, from two years to six months, is cheaper, about $100 compared to $2,000, and is delivered in pill form rather than injections.

"The fact that PaMZ is pill-only is another big advantage for drug-resistant patients, especially those who are also HIV-positive. They are often weaker physically and the injections can be very painful for them. Syringes must also be disposed of safely by health workers to avoid HIV infections," said David Moore, director of the TB center at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, according to the Guardian.

"We need good regulation in place for the distribution of PaMZ. It should not be available over-the-counter and should only be prescribed by qualified physicians and licensed through the national TB control program. These new TB molecules are very precious and must be safeguarded. This is a serious concern for TB experts," said Dr. Surendra Sharma, head of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

But, Sharma added she wanted to see more work done on vaccines since the last one was developed in the 1920s.

"We really need to cross that benchmark," she said.