Tuberculosis drug regimens and their efficacies

Abstract

Tuberculosis drug regimens and their efficacies Andrew Nunn, Professor of Epidemiology in the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at UCL conducts two stages of drug treatment for those with tuberculosis called 'STREAM'. In this clinical trial, stage 1 demonstrated that a 9-month regimen was non-inferior to the 20-month regimen that was currently recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and stage 2 investigated two new shortened regimens; one a fully oral 9-month regimen in which bedaquiline is substituted for the injectable tuberculosis drug, kanamycin, and a 6-month regimen in which both bedaquiline and a shortened intensive phase with kanamycin. After assessing the results of patient data from the trials, as well as from observational studies using bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid, the World Health Organisation informed key stakeholders in National TB Programmes of detailed recommendations which will be presented later this year in a 2022 update of the WHO consolidated guidelines, to better TB care and treatment.