A six-month treatment regimen offers better outcomes for those battling drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Healthcare centers in Mumbai now offer a new treatment for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis. The treatment uses four medicines called BPaLM and runs for six months. Since last year, doctors have given this treatment to 100 patients across Mumbai and 44 more at JJ Hospital.
The treatment combines four medicines – bedaquiline, pretomanid, linezolid, and moxifloxacin. Patients receive care from chest doctors but must connect with city health centers because bedaquiline comes only through government channels.
“We give BPaLM to patients we select based on national rules,” says Dr. Priti Meshram from JJ Hospital. She notes that patients with TB that spreads beyond lungs cannot use this treatment due to risk of return. “We screen patients thoroughly to prevent this issue,” Dr. Meshram explains.
Most patients experience mild effects like nausea and vomiting. However, one 15-year-old developed hepatitis, and others might experience nerve problems. Dr. Meshram points out that everyone receives the same dose regardless of weight, which might cause rare problems in smaller patients.
Doctors consider BPaLM safer than the previous 18-month treatment that required up to seven drugs. That longer treatment still serves about 64,000 patients with drug-resistant TB across India.
Dr. Chetan Jain treats about 40 patients with BPaLM in Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, and Kurla. He states, “The effects we see with BPaLM pale compared to the longer treatment which caused mind disturbances and skin color changes.”
Dr. Vikas Oswal led the Mumbai portion of BPaLM testing in 2021 and now treats 60 patients. “All progress well… serious problems remain rare and treatable,” he reports.
Dr. Oswal notes that live TB bacteria disappear from lab tests in just four weeks with BPaLM. “This never happened before. Changes show on scans in four to six weeks,” he says.
Though many chest doctors received training for BPaLM, only three currently offer this treatment to patients. City TB officials were not available to explain why more doctors do not use it.
Across India, more than 1,000 patients now receive the BPaLM treatment, marking a step forward in the fight against drug-resistant TB.
