India Launches Shorter Safer Treatment BPaLM for MDR-TB

India's 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients to benefit from new shorter regimen

The Union Health Ministry has approved the introduction of a new, shorter, and more efficacious treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB in India. The BPaLM regimen, consisting of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin, has proven to be safe, more effective, and quicker than previous treatments.

MDR-TB: A challenging form of TB

Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a type of TB where bacteria resist the two most powerful anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. Treatment options are limited and costly, making it difficult to treat patients.

Benefits of BPaLM regimen

- Shorter treatment duration: 6 months vs 20 months
- Higher treatment success rate
- Reduced side effects
- Cost-effective

National efforts to End TB

The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) aims to reduce TB burden in India by 2025, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. The National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination is a multi-pronged approach to detect all TB patients, especially in high-risk populations and private healthcare settings.

This move is expected to significantly boost India's progress towards achieving its national goal of Ending TB.