The WHO Accelerator Platform for Novel TB Regimens focuses on streamlining the implementation of shorter, safer, and more effective tuberculosis treatments globally.
Webinar Title: Implementing the 4-month HPMZ regimen
Watch the webinar here.
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The WHO Global TB Program’s Accelerator Platform for Novel TB Regimens held its 12th meeting to examine the four-month HPMZ (isoniazid, rifapentine, moxifloxacin, pyrazinamide) regimen for tuberculosis treatment, covering country experiences, implementation tools, and next steps for rollout. Despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2022 recommendation, implementation has remained limited, with challenges such as high pill burden and medicine costs cited as potential barriers.
The session featured four presentations:
- Indonesia’s experience, presented by Prof. Erlina Burhan
- Georgia’s experience and implementation tools, presented by Dr. Nana Kiria and Dr. Naomi Solomonia (National TB Program of Georgia)
- Availability and pricing of new fixed-dose combinations for HPMZ, presented by Brian Kaiser (Global Drug Facility, Stop TB Partnership)
- Overcoming barriers to adoption, presented by Lindsay McKenna (Treatment Action Group)
The webinar closed with an open discussion on accelerating adoption of the regimen worldwide.
Check out TAG’s latest brief on the HPMZ regimen.
Overcoming Barriers to Adopting the Four-Month Regimen: A Pathfinding Mission to Improve Access to Newer TB Treatments
Treatment Action Group (TAG) has been a leading voice in advocating for faster uptake of shorter TB treatment. Drug-sensitive TB treatment can be shortened from six to four months by replacing rifampicin with rifapentine and ethambutol with moxifloxacin. For people with TB, shortening the time on treatment by a third means less time away from work or school, a faster return to life without TB, and fewer healthcare visits and lower out-of-pocket costs along the way. While WHO endorsed the four-month HPMZ regimen, its use remains limited.
TAG’s advocacy brief examines the barriers to adoption of the four-month regimen and how they might be addressed, and offers a narrative framework communities can use to advocate for the regimen in Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 and beyond.