How long is the course of bedaquiline treatment for tuberculosis?

Bedaquiline (Bedaquiline) can be used to treat adults (≥18 years old) diagnosed with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. Due to the potential for serious adverse events, bedaquiline is not recommended for all patients with MDR-TB. Patients receiving bedaquiline should be managed by or in close consultation with local health authorities and experts in the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Bedaquiline will be used for 24 weeks. When treatment options are limited, bedaquiline may be continued for more than 24 weeks on a case-by-case basis. The half-life of this drug is 4-5 months.

Consider discontinuing bedaquiline 4-5 months before stopping other drugs in the regimen to reduce or avoid long-term exposure to low levels of bedaquiline as a single agent and subsequent acquired resistance. If a dose is missed during the first 2 weeks of treatment, the patient should not take the missed dose but should continue the regular dosing schedule. Beginning in Week 3, if a 200 mg dose is missed, patients should take the missed dose as soon as possible and then resume the 3 times weekly regimen. Do not exceed the 600mg dose within a 7-day period.

The drug is sold in China as bedaquiline fumarate tablets and has been included in the scope of medical insurance. The common specificationsThe price of 100mg*24 tablets per box may be around 10,000 yuan, which is relatively expensive. The Russian version of bedaquiline sold overseas, Specification100mg*188 tablets per box, may cost around RMB 15,000 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The pharmaceutical ingredients of bedaquiline sold domestically and abroad are basically the same, and there are currently no generic bedaquiline drugs on the market. For specific prices and drug information of overseas drugs, please consult Yaode Medical Consultant.