IRD PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED

EndTB-Q Trial Reveals Need for Personalized Treatment in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

- The first clinical trial exclusively focused on pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB) shows that shorter treatment regimens benefit some patients but not all. - The experimental six-to-nine-month regimen achieved 87% effectiveness compared to 89% for standard 18-24 month therapy, but failed to meet non-inferiority standards across the full study population. - Patients with advanced lung damage did not respond as well to shorter treatment, highlighting the need for individualized therapy based on disease severity and resistance patterns. - Researchers call for updated WHO guidelines to incorporate stratified treatment approaches rather than universal six-month regimens for all patients with drug-resistant TB.