New Delhi: Ahead of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, the government is set to launch a drug called Bedaquiline to specifically treat multi-drug resistant TB.
Bedaquiline, known as the 'miracle drug' is the first TB drug to be approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in over 40 years.
According to a leading daily, the treatment has been rolled out under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme and is part of co-ordinated programme between the government and Johnson & Johnson.
The drug will be made available in six public hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and Ahmedabad.
Named 'Bedaquiline' (trade name Sirturo), the drug is perhaps the first in decades to have a potential to dramatically improve multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment outcomes, and reduce the number of people who die from the disease.
India has the highest burden of tuberculosis in the world with over 2.5 million people living with TB every year. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, for the year 2014, deaths due to TB were estimated in India to be 2,20,000 which is higher than any other country.
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