Children deserve simple, short, safe, and effective treatment for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis

On the basis of emerging results from pivotal trials, in December 2022, WHO recommended a 6-month, once-per-day regimen of bedaquiline, pretomanid, linezolid, and moxifloxacin (BPaLM) as a first-line treatment for individuals older than 14 years with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis.1 The inclusion of patients as young as 14 years in these pivotal trials, even though people aged 14–17 years were enrolled in small numbers, allowed WHO to extend their recommendation to this age group, thus avoiding unnecessary delays in access to this much-needed treatment innovation for older adolescents. [...]although linezolid has potent antimycobacterial activity, its use for 6 months results in frequent adverse effects, including myelosuppression and neuropathies. UNDP South Sudan/Brian Sokol ES has received research funding from TB Alliance and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, has received financial compensation from WHO, and is a member of the Data Safety Monitoring Board for the BE-PEOPLE leprosy prevention study.