Advanced BPaL Regimen for Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Nearly 20 months after a World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation, in August 2024, India started rolling out the BPaL treatment regimen for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), offering hope for quicker remission for thousands of patients.

Key Points

New Treatment Regimen: The BPaL regimen combines Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, and Linezolid, achieving a 89% success rate within six months compared to the 52% success rate of the standard 18-month regimen.
Training and Rollout: Health workers will begin training this month to implement the BPaL regimen, which is expected to improve treatment outcomes for MDR and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) patients.
Diagnostic Support: As of December 2023, India has 6,196 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) machines, 91 Line Probe Assays, and 69 liquid culture testing labs to support the detection of drug-resistant TB cases.
Global Context: India has the highest drug-resistant TB burden globally, with 110,000 new cases annually. The BPaL regimen has been adopted in over 70 countries and is expected to provide significant economic and health benefits.
Advocacy and Impact: Patient advocacy groups have long urged for the BPaL regimen’s implementation, highlighting its potential to enhance patients' quality of life and save $250 million annually in India.