Favourable outcomes in RR-TB patients using BPaL and other WHO-recommended second-line anti-TB drugs.

SETTING

According to reports in South Africa, treatment failure rates for rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) are significant and below the WHO target of ≥70%. HIV infection and the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) influence how patients receiving anti-TB drugs respond to therapy. In the treatment of RR-TB, more recent medications, including bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid (BPaL), have shown promising results.

OBJECTIVE

To assess treatment outcomes in RR-TB patients using BPaL and other second-line anti-TB drugs as recommended by the WHO in the South African population.

DESIGN

The databases Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase were searched for studies between 2015 and 2022, which investigated BPaL outcomes in South Africa.

RESULTS

Of the 27,259 participants, 21% were on bedaquiline, 1% were taking pretomanid and 9% were taking linezolid as part of their background regimen. About 68% of the patients were HIV-positive, with 59% of them taking HAART.

CONCLUSION

Overall, 66% of patients taking BPaL drugs as part of their background regimen had favourable treatment outcomes. Additionally, patients with RR-TB who were HIV-positive and taking HAART while receiving BPaL drugs as part of a background regimen had improved treatment outcomes.