Country-led evidence and implementation support enabled faster adoption of shorter, more effective regimens worldwide
SEOUL (April 13, 2026)—A new independent assessment finds that LIFT-TB (Leveraging Innovation for Faster Treatment of Tuberculosis), an initiative led by TB Alliance in partnership with International Tuberculosis Research Center, South Korea and co-funding by KOICA, played a crucial role in accelerating the global uptake of shorter, more effective treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). This progress contributed to a broader shift in how new TB treatments are introduced, helping reduce the time from approval to widespread access from the typical 7-9 years to approximately three years.
“LIFT-TB shows what is possible when innovation is paired with a deliberate, proactive access strategy,” said Sandeep Juneja, Senior Vice President of Market Access at TB Alliance. “By working closely with countries to generate local evidence, support policy adoption, strengthen health systems, and engage communities, we were able to significantly accelerate the path from regulatory approval to real-world impact. Importantly, this work also helped shape a broader approach that can be applied across countries to speed uptake in the future.”
Launched in 2020, LIFT-TB supported the introduction and scale-up of six-month, all-oral BPaL-based regimens across seven high-burden countries – Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. The independent assessment by the health consulting firm, IQVIA, found that LIFT-TB was highly successful in meeting its objectives, combining operational research, technical assistance, and system strengthening to rapidly translate innovation into programmatic implementation.
Across participating countries, treatment success rates in operations research mirrored results from clinical trials, averaging approximately 91%, a significant improvement over older regimens, while reducing treatment duration from up to 18-24 months to just six months. All seven countries adopted the new regimens into national guidelines—some ahead of schedule—supported by locally generated evidence on safety, feasibility, and effectiveness.
The impact of LIFT-TB extended beyond the initial countries. By generating real-world evidence and developing pathways for speedy adoption and implementation, participating countries emerged as global leaders in the transition to shorter DR-TB regimens. Their experience helped inform and accelerate uptake in additional countries, contributing to broader global access.
Beyond accelerating uptake, LIFT-TB strengthened national health systems. More than 12,000 clinical and laboratory personnel were trained, while laboratory infrastructure, pharmacovigilance systems, and data platforms were enhanced to support safe and sustainable rollout.
The initiative supported rapid policy change locally and contributed to global policy change, demonstrated decentralized models of care, and engaged civil society and TB-affected communities to strengthen treatment literacy, reduce stigma, and support uptake of improved regimens. In parallel, it helped establish complementary tools and platforms to support implementation and scale-up of new TB treatments.
These include: Fast Track the Cure, a community-led initiative, which advances advocacy, demand generation, and community monitoring; Upskill TB, an AI-assisted digital training platform supporting providers in implementing new regimens; and SLASH-TB, a data-driven tool that supports governments in assessing the cost-effectiveness and impact of adopting new treatments.
LIFT-TB was funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Global Disease Eradication Fund (GDEF), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, with co-funding from TB Alliance. The initiative was implemented in close collaboration with national tuberculosis programs and a broad network of global and local partners. International Tuberculosis Research Center, South Korea was a core partner in the project.
About TB Alliance
TB Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding faster-acting and affordable drug regimens to fight TB. Through innovative science and with partners around the globe, we aim to ensure equitable access to faster, better TB cures that will advance global health and prosperity. TB Alliance operates with support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (United Kingdom), Gates Foundation, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) through KfW, Global Disease Eradication Fund (South Korea), Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Korea International Cooperation Agency, MedAccess, Raoul Follerau Foundation, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United States Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), United States Department of State, United States National Institutes for Health – National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), United States National Institutes for Health – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Unitaid. For more information, please visit: www.tballiance.org.