India TB Regimen Cost-Effective Study

A study conducted by the India — Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and its National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis found that shorter, six-month all-oral treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are cost-effective and offer improved health outcomes compared to longer regimens currently used in India. The economic evaluation, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, assessed bedaquiline-based regimens, specifically BPaL (bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid) and BPaLM (with moxifloxacin), against existing 9-11 month and 18-20 month bedaquiline-containing treatments under the India — National Malaria Elimination Programme (NTEP). The BPaL regimen was found to be more effective and cost-saving, reducing health system spending by INR 379 per patient per additional Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY). The BPaLM regimen was also highly cost-effective, with an additional expenditure of only INR 37 per patient per additional QALY. Both regimens are associated with lower or comparable overall healthcare costs, including medicines, hospital visits, and follow-up care. These findings provide economic evidence to support the programmatic adoption of BPaL-based regimens under the NTEP, aligning with India's national priorities to optimize resource utilization and accelerate TB elimination.