FDA Approves New Tuberculosis Drug: Bedaquiline (Sirturo®)

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is an infectious disease that continues to greatly impact morbidity and mortality worldwide; in 2011 it caused 1.4 million deaths. Some strains of the bacteria have become resistant to current treatment regimens, resulting in multidrug-resistant (MOR) and extensively drugresistant (XOR) TB. The emergence of these resistant strains of bacteria calls for new treatment regimens that can quickly and effectively eradicate the organism. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Sirturo® (bedaquiline) with the indication of MDR pulmonary TB. Bedaquiline introduces a novel mechanism of action via the inhibition of bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase. In this article we will further explore the background information for TB, current treatment regimens, adverse effects of bedaquiline and studies that explore the place for bedaquiline in the treatment of TB