Background: Bedaquiline and delamanid have been included in the individualized treatment regimen (ITR) to treat patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB).
Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of sputum culture conversion and the safety of ITR containing bedaquiline and delamanid.
Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from medical records of DR-TB patients who received ITR between January 2020 and December 2021. Patients were divided into bedaquiline and bedaquiline-delamanid groups. Sputum culture was evaluated until 6 months of treatment. Measurement of QTc interval, renal and liver function test, and serum potassium were evaluated to assess safety during the study period. We used Chi-square to analyze a difference in cumulative culture conversion; meanwhile, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze differences in laboratory data for each and between the two groups, respectively.
Results: Fifty-one eligible DR-TB patients met the inclusion criteria, 41 in the bedaquiline and 10 in bedaquiline-delamanid group. 43/51 patients had a positive culture at baseline. After 6 months of treatment, 42/43 DR-TB patients (97.6%) had sputum culture conversion and no difference between the two groups (P ≥ 0.05). QTc interval within normal limit and no patient had a QTc >500 ms during the study period. Creatinine levels significantly differed between the two groups 6 months after treatment (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: DR-TB patients who received all oral ITR containing bedaquiline and or delamanid demonstrated favorable sputum conversion with a tolerable safety profile.
Aim: Studies show the presence of a mismatch between drug research and disease burden. A study conducted in the European Union found that new drug development was restricted to certain diseases. A study of biosimilar approvals in India found that 87% of drugs were for treating noncommunicable diseases. This study aimed to determine the new drugs approved in India from 2017 to 2021 and the top ten causes of morbidity and mortality and detect the presence of any discordance between these.
Methods: A descriptive study was conducted using data on new drug approvals accessed from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization website. The top ten causes of mortality and morbidity in India from 2015 to 2019 were identified from the Global Burden of Diseases database. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the drug approvals and the leading diseases.
Results: One hundred twenty-six drugs were approved during the study period. Antineoplastic drugs constituted 19.84% of the approvals, antimicrobials 18.25%, and cardiovascular drugs 9.52%. Ischemic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the two leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Diarrheal diseases, lower respiratory tract infection, and drug-susceptible tuberculosis were among the top ten causes. Ten antibacterials, including four antitubercular drugs, were approved during this period. Two drugs were approved for rare diseases.
Conclusion: Our study showed that the drugs approved were largely in line with the prevalent disease burden, and there was no significant discordance observed. Some diseases, such as ischemic stroke/intracranial hemorrhage, require further efforts in bringing forth newer pharmacotherapy options.