The Union Health Ministry has given its nod to a novel treatment protocol, known as BPaLM, for the management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and has helped improve the efficiency of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). Because the new regimen is shorter, less toxic, and more effective than the other treatments.
Known as BPaLM, which comprises Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and optional Moxifloxacin, makes it easy to treat as compared to the previous MDR-TB long regimen of 20 months but reduced to six months. This is a new approach that uses newly approved Pretomanid combined with Bedaquiline and Linezolid while Moxifloxacin is only added occasionally.
The new regimen has efficacy and safety benefits over the previous treatments, which may take longer and even be associated with serious side effects. The BPaLM regimen is more effective than the standard ATT. It has less duration for treatment, giving a superior success rate, which serves the needs of the approximately 75,000 Indians suffering from drug-resistant TB.
The Health Ministry noted that while the traditional MDR-TB treatments, which may take up to 20 months with rather severe side effects, BPaLM offers a cure within six months. It should be noted that such enhancement is believed to play a role in lowering treatment expenses while enhancing patients’ quality of life.
The provincial health department, with strong support from the Department of Health Research, made and oversaw the validation of the BPaLM regimen. Part of this process also involved consultation with its in-country experts to ensure the safety and cost efficiency of the process.
They say that this new treatment will greatly boost India’s efforts to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, a five-year ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals target that was adopted globally. The formulation of a nationwide implementation plan is underway by the central TB division, and also the new regimen requires extensive training for health care professionals so that they can safely administer it.
”This is a big boost in our fight against TB and I am confident that this will go a long way in improving our TB control mission in India,” an official said.
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