The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has approved introduction of the BPaLM regimen – a novel treatment for Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) under its National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) as a highly effective and shorter treatment option. This is expected to significantly boost the country’s progress to achieve its national goal of Ending TB.

The Ministry has informed that this regimen includes a new anti-TB drug namely Pretomanid in combination with Bedaquiline & Linezolid (with/without Moxifloxacin). 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, it stated.

While traditional MDR-TB treatments can last up to 20 months with severe side effects, BPaLM regimen can cure the drug-resistant TB in just six months with 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.

Department of Health & Family Welfare, in consultation with Department of Health Research ensured validation of this new TB treatment regimen that witnessed a thorough review of evidences by in-country subject experts. The Department has also got a Health Technology Assessment done through the Department of Health Research to ensure that this MDR-TB treatment option is safe and cost effective.

The Ministry has further informed that 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.