| Summary: | Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the sequential use of bedaquiline (Bdq) and delamanid (Dlm) in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and limited treatment options. Methods: This study evaluated 74 MDR-TB patients treated between March 2016 and December 2018 with Bdq followed by Dlm (n = 22), or vice versa (n= 52), combined with optimized background regimens. Results: The mean age of the participants was 49.0 ± 15.8 years. Fifty-one (68.9%) of the participants were male. Fluoroquinolone resistance was identified in 54 (72.9%) patients, including 20 (27.0%) with extensively drug-resistant TB. Of the 47 (63.5%) patients with positive cultures at the commencement of the first new drug, culture conversion occurred in 44 (93.6%). The interim treatment outcome after 12 months was favourable in 68/74 patients (91.9%). Twenty-four weeks of treatment were completed in 137 of 148 episodes of new drug use (92.3%). Regarding the 11 early discontinuation events, six patients stopped using a new drug due to adverse drug reactions that were not life-threatening, including one (1.4%) who stopped Bdq due to QT-prolongation. Conclusions: Sequential use of the two new drugs appears to be an effective and safe option for MDR-TB patients with few treatment options.
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