The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidance on Country Preparedness for the Introduction and Appropriate Use of Antibiotics highlighted TB Alliance’s introduction of the BPaL regimen as a case study, recognizing it as an example of an effective, rapid, responsible, and impactful introduction of a new drug (and regimen) introduction.
The case study details how TB Alliance didn’t just develop pretomanid, but built the ecosystem necessary to support its adoption and implementation. This included early policy engagement with WHO, partnerships with national TB programs, real-world implementation research, cost-effectiveness studies, health worker training, community-led advocacy, and market-shaping strategies to make the treatment affordable and available. The case study also notes that this work was performed quickly to maximize impact.
Today, more than 210,000 courses of pretomanid have been procured across more than 100 countries. This success was bolstered by the diverse suite of access tools and initiatives referenced in the case study, such as the PeerLINC Knowledge Hub, LIFT-TB, and Fast Track the Cure.
TB Alliance remains committed to supporting universal access to shortened TB therapies. We are hard at work on additional new access initiatives including multiple digital health tools aimed at the treatment provider level that will scale training on new regimens and aid clinical decision making.
It is important to note that while TB Alliance’s access roadmap and toolbox was operationalized through the introduction of pretomanid and BPaL, it also serves as an infrastructure. Many of the approaches, tools, and initiatives that have been built can be scaled and adapted to support future product introductions, from treatments to diagnostics, to vaccines—and even in areas beyond TB.