Bedaquiline in the treatment of extensively drugresistant tuberculosis

Introduction . Extensive drug resistance (XDR) M. Tuberculosis (MBT) is considered the main factor that reduces the effectiveness of the treatment of TB patients around the world, including Russia. A significant role in improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy (CT) in people with resistant TB belongs to the introduction of new anti-TB drugs, the first of which was bedaquiline (LP-002281). Objective . To assess the profile of an XDR-TB patient receiving bedaquiline and the efficacy of chemotherapy regimens including bedaquiline in patients with XDR pulmonary tuberculosis. Materials and methods. The study is retrospective, non-comparative, descriptive. The data of 88 patients who received bedaquiline in the XDR-TB treatment regimen in anti-tuberculosis institutions of the Saratov region in 2017–2018. Results . Patients with chronic TB prevailed – 50/88 [56.8%, 95% CI 46.3–67.4], every fourth patient had a history of surgery. The cessation of bacterial excretion, confirmed by bacterioscopy, was achieved in 51/67 [76.1%, 95% CI 65.7–86.5] patients; by cultural method – in 47/67 [70,1%, 95% CI 59.0–81.3]. Negative sputum smear in a significant proportion of patients 43/51 [84.3%, 95% CI 52.4–75.9] was observed after 12 weeks of therapy, negative cultures in 36/47 [76.6%, 95% CI 41.6–65.9] – after 16 weeks. Discussion . Compared to individual patient analyzes – 43% success rate in the treatment of XDR-TB, in our cohort of XDR-TB patients treated with bedaquiline, the success rate was 53.4%, which is consistent with data from a large study describing the safety in 2017, tolerability and efficacy of bedaquiline and could be higher in the absence of “discontinuations from treatment”. Conclusion . The regimens of treatment of patients with XDR-tuberculosis with the inclusion of bedaquiline are effective in terms of the termination of bacterial excretion, confirmed by bacterioscopy and culture in patients with a complex course of a specific process with previous ineffective therapy.