Novel six-month all oral treatment of pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in Canada: New treatment options present new implementation challenges

Abstract

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health challenge in part because there are fewer effective treatments and these treatments have been prolonged and more toxic. The evidence base for more effective, shorter, standardized treatments is evolving rapidly. Herein, we report the first case of pre-extensively drug-resistant pulmonary TB treated with a novel six-month all oral bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid (BPaL) regimen in Canada. Recent clinical trial data supporting BPaL therapy is presented in the context of current and evolving clinical guidelines. In this article, we highlight significant implementation challenges and make recommendations for what needs to be addressed to ensure safe programmatic use of BPaL in Canada. Key recommendations include the development of infrastructure for timely access to novel TB drug susceptibility testing, streamlining access to novel TB drugs, and cautious use of such drugs in collaboration with care teams with expertise in drug-resistant TB management.