The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) on September 07, 2024, approved the introduction of the new shorter and more efficacious treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB in India.
The BPaLM regimen, which consists four-drug combination – Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid and Moxifloxacin, has been proven to be safe, more effective and a quicker treatment option than the previous MDR-TB treatment procedure. While traditional MDR-TB treatments can last up to 20 months with severe side effects, BPaLM regimen can cure drug-resistant TB in just six months with a high treatment success rate. India’s 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients will now be able to avail benefit of this shorter regimen. With the other advantages, there will be an overall saving in cost.
This move by Government of India is expected to significantly boost the country’s progress to achieve its national goal of Ending TB. A country-wide time-bound roll out plan of the BPaLM regimen is being prepared by the Central TB Division of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in consultation with States/UTs, which includes rigorous capacity building of health professionals for safe administration of the new regimen.
[Release ID: 2052515]
