NEW DELHI: To meet the aim of eliminating tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global target, the Centre on Friday announced the introduction of a novel treatment for Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB), touted as a highly effective and shorter treatment option.
For India’s 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients, this brings much relief as they will be able to avail themselves of the benefit of this shorter regimen. It will also mean overall cost savings.
The BPaLM regimen includes a new anti-TB drug, namely Pretomanid, in combination with Bedaquiline and Linezolid (with/without Moxifloxacin).
Pretomanid was approved and licensed for use in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), a statement by the Union Health Ministry said.
The new regimen will be introduced under the Ministry’s National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The BPaLM regimen, which consists of a four-drug combination – Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin – has been proven to be safer, more effective, and a quicker treatment option than the previous MDR-TB treatment procedure, the Ministry statement said.
While traditional MDR-TB treatments can last up to 20 months with severe side effects, the BPaLM regimen can cure drug-resistant TB in just six months with a high treatment success rate.
In consultation with the Department of Health Research, the Health Ministry ensured the validation of this new TB treatment regimen, which was witnessed by a thorough review of evidence by in-country subject experts, it added.
The Ministry has also conducted a Health Technology Assessment through the Department of Health Research to ensure that this MDR-TB treatment option is safe and cost-effective.
This move by the Centre is expected to significantly boost the country’s progress towards achieving its national goal of ending TB.
A country-wide time-bound rollout plan for the BPaLM regimen is being prepared by the Central TB Division of the Health Ministry in consultation with states and union territories. This plan includes rigorous capacity building for health professionals to administer the new regimen safely.
The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), previously known as the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), aims to strategically reduce the TB burden in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India’s goal at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.
In 2020, the RNTCP was renamed the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to emphasise the Government's aim of eliminating TB in India by 2025.
It reached over a billion people in 632 districts/reporting units and is responsible for carrying out the Government’s five-year National Strategic Plans for TB elimination along with the states/UTs.
The Ministry is following a multi-pronged approach that aims to detect all TB patients, with an emphasis on reaching TB patients seeking care from private providers and undiagnosed TB in high-risk populations.
Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST) is implemented under the NTEP to ensure every diagnosed TB patient is tested to rule out drug resistance before or at the time of treatment initiation.
On 9 September 2022, President Droupadi Murmu launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) to urge citizens to work collectively towards TB elimination in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari on a war footing.
She also launched the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative to ensure additional diagnostic, nutritional, and vocational support for TB treatment patients. She encouraged elected representatives, corporations, NGOs, and individuals to come forward as donors to help patients complete their journey towards recovery.
The Ni-kshay 2.0 portal provides additional patient support to improve the treatment outcome of TB patients, augmenting community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025 and leveraging corporate social responsibility opportunities.
India has the world’s largest TB laboratory network, with 7,767 rapid molecular testing facilities and 87 culture and drug susceptibility testing laboratories spread across the length and breadth of the country, the statement said.
The Ministry said this widespread laboratory network will support the timely detection of MDR-TB and the quick initiation of TB treatment.