A randomised phase-3/4 trial in India is evaluating an all-oral, short-course treatment for pre-XDR TB or treatment intolerant/non-responsive MDR pulmonary TB using three drugs: bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL).
The trial began in October 2021 and enrolled 400 participants across eight sites in India, with the last participant enrolled in end-February 2023.
The BPaL treatment lasts for 26 weeks, in contrast to conventional treatment for drug-resistant TB, which requires taking eight-nine tablets daily for 18 months.
The BPaL regimen aims to improve treatment adherence and outcomes, as patients on conventional treatment for DR-TB have a cure rate of 60-65%, even with strict adherence.
Nearly 70% of the trial participants have completed the BPaL treatment so far, with a cure rate well above 85%.
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