Linezolid in South Africa: The regulatory authority’s role in supporting access to improved treatment regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis

Abstract The rising incidence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in South Africa is cause for concern, with doctors having limited treatment options to offer patients who face excruciating side-effects from existing medications, and poor odds of treatment success. With several newer drugs showing efficacy against DR-TB, increased possibilities exist to stem the tide of the epidemic, shorten treatment duration, and improve outcomes. To take advantage of this potential TB treatment revolution, countries must rapidly facilitate access to existing and future drugs. This requires co-ordinated action from governments, and particularly regulatory authorities, in promoting early access to new treatments, tackling intellectual property and price barriers, expediting regulatory approval, adopting and implementing up-to-date TB management policies, and engaging with research and development processes for new regimens. Doctors Without Borders expended great effort to obtain a less expensive version of the drug, linezolid, for its DR-TB pilot program in Khayelitsha, South Africa. This piece describes that experience, and subsequently offers recommendations for policy reforms which could help South Africa more rapidly access other new TB drugs in the future. The South African experience may be of relevance to other countries seeking advice on how to facilitate access to new treatments and tackle their TB epidemics.