Scientific American: Treatment for Extreme Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Wins U.S. Government Approval

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug regimen used to treat an extreme form of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB). The clinical trials showed that nearly 90% of the patients who were infected with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB who partook this treatment recovered within 6 months. In comparison, the success rate of current drug regimens is 34%. A major concern about this treatment is affordability. A therapy that was approved to treat multi-drug resistant TB—bedaquiline—was inaccessible to those who needed it most due to the price. Only about 20% of patients who could be benefited by bedaquiline got the treatment. The TB Alliance is currently working with two pharmaceutical companies that will manufacture the drug to determine a cost that will be low enough so that low-income families can receive the treatment. For the full article, click here.