Delamanid for Multidrug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis

In this report on the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis, the authors found that delamanid, a novel anti-TB medication, led to more rapid sputum culture conversion to negative when added to a background regimen than the background regimen alone. The emergence over the past two decades of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, or tuberculosis caused by strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are resistant to isoniazid and rifampin, with or without resistance to other agents, has greatly complicated efforts to control the global tuberculosis epidemic. Approximately 440,000 cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis occur worldwide annually, accounting for nearly 5% of the global burden of tuberculosis. 1 Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis requires treatment with combination therapy consisting of four to six medications, including the more toxic and less potent second-line drugs, administered for up to 2 years. Cure rates are lower and mortality is higher with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis . . .