Interim results from operations research in LIFT-TB countries support decision to deploy improved treatment
PRETORIA, South Africa, September 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Kyrgyzstan, UkraineAnd Uzbekistan — LIFT-TB project participants — have updated their national tuberculosis (TB) clinical guidelines to approve six-month all-oral treatment. BPaL/M (bedaquiline + pretomanid + linezolid ± moxifloxacin) as the national standard for the treatment of most patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
The decision to rapidly roll out the six-month oral treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB cases was largely driven by the performance of the BPaL treatment regimen in operational research conducted in program countries. LIFT-TB (Leveraging Innovation for Faster Treatment of Tuberculosis), in addition to December 2022 update to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis which recommended using BPaL and BPaLM treatment regimens.
Launched in 2020, LIFT-TB is a program aimed at expanding the adoption and scale-up of innovative treatments for tuberculosis. It operates in Indonesia, Burma, The Philippines, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, UkraineAnd Uzbekistan. As part of LIFT-TB, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine And Uzbekistan each has completed operational research of the BPaL regime. Interim results for treatment success rates for drug-resistant TB treated with BPaL in this work ranged between 86% and 97%, consistent with success rates observed in clinical trials and in other countries where operational research has been carried out. been carried out.
In addition, the National Tuberculosis Control Program Ukraine and TB Alliance have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which will serve as a framework for collaboration around the implementation of future innovative treatments against tuberculosis.
“We are extremely excited to see the impact of these new, shorter treatment regimens against drug-resistant TB. Ukraine“, said Dr. Iana Terleieva, Head of the Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Department of the Public Health Center, Ukraine. “They have proven to be effective, easier for people to take and doctors to administer, and we are seeing improved cure rates, even during this time of war. Ukraine. We want to ensure that all Ukrainians have access to the shortest and most effective TB treatments available, and this MoU will help us achieve this not only today, but also with additional new treatments to come. »
“We are pleased to see significant progress toward domestic adoption in LIFT-TB countries,” said Sandeep Juneja, Senior Vice President of Market Access at TB Alliance. “Advances in TB treatment only bear fruit when they reach those in need everywhere. At TB Alliance, we are committed to ensuring this happens, and LIFT-TB is helping countries with a high burden of drug-resistant TB implement these new treatments. diets widely and quickly available.
All countries participating in LIFT-TB have completed their operational research on BPaL and are progressing towards national implementation. They also all committed to expanding the use of treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
“We are pleased to be among the leaders in ensuring that new, more patient-friendly treatments for drug-resistant TB reach those who need them. “Updating Kyrgyzstan’s national treatment guidelines to include these new treatment regimens reflects our commitment to act quickly to make these new treatments widely available across the country,” said Professor Kadyrov Abdulat Samatovich, head of the national control program. against tuberculosis, Kyrgyzstan.
“Our initial experiences in treating drug-resistant tuberculosis with six-month treatment regimens have been very encouraging. We look forward to making the safest and most effective resistant TB treatments available throughout Uzbekistan, and we are actively working to ensure this expansion happens quickly. ” said Nargiza Parpieva, PhD, professor, director of the Republican Specialized Scientific Practical Medical Center of Phthisiology and Pneumology, Head of the National Program to Combat Tuberculosis, Republic of Uzbekistan.
LIFT-TB is supported by TB Alliance and the Republic of Korea, through the Global Disease Eradication Fund (GDEF)which is operated and managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea and operated by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Additional partners include the International Tuberculosis Research Center (ITRC)located in Korea, and KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation.
“It is encouraging to see countries participating in LIFT-TB emerging as leaders in expanding access to new treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis. It is essential that the latest and best treatments are available to everyone suffering from drug-resistant TB, and how these countries are progressing towards this goal should serve as an example to others in the region and beyond said Seo hee Chang, team director of the Global Fund for Disease Eradication, KOICA.
About the TB Alliance
TB Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding faster, more affordable treatment regimens to fight tuberculosis. Through innovative science and with partners around the world, we aim to ensure equitable access to faster, more effective treatments for tuberculosis that will advance global health and prosperity. TB Alliance operates with the support of Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research through KfW, Global Fund for Innovative Health Technologies, Indonesian Health Fund, Innovative Medicines Initiative, Irish aid, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, UK Department for International Development and United States Agency for International Development. For more information, please visit: www.tballiance.org.
About GDEF
The Government of the Republic of Korea’s Global Disease Eradication Fund is based on the airline ticket solidarity levy system which requires a donation of 1,000 KRW on passengers departing from Korean airports with the aim of preventing and controlling infectious diseases in developing countries. GDEF partners with various stakeholders to develop, test and deliver a range of innovative products to combat global infectious diseases. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs entrusts the operation and management of the GDEF to the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
About KOICA
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), contributes to the advancement of international cooperation through various projects that establish friendly and collaborative relations and mutual exchanges between Korea and the developing countries and support the economic and social development of the country. developing countries, as the main development cooperation agency of KOREA.
Contact:
Jessica Wiggs
Jessica.wiggs@tballiance.org
telephone: +1 (646) 616-8613
cell: +1 (240) 425-7117
SOURCE Alliance Against Tuberculosis
