![]() ![]() |
Related Articles |
Classifying new anti-TB drugs: rationale and future perspectives.
Int J Infect Dis. 2016 Nov 3;:
Authors: Tiberi S, Scardigli A, Centis R, D'Ambrosio L, Muñoz-Torrico M, Salazar-Lezama MÁ, Spanevello A, Visca D, Zumla A, Migliori GB, Luna JA
Abstract
The classification of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs is important as it serves the clinician in building an appropriate anti-TB regimen for multidrug (MDR-) and extensively drug resistant (XDR-) TB cases which do not fulfil criteria for the shorter MDR-TB regimen. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently approved a revision of the classification of new anti-TB drugs based on current evidence on each drug. In the previous WHO guidelines the drug choice was based on their efficacy and toxicity, in a step-down manner from Group 1, including first-line drugs and Group 2-5 including second- line drugs, to Group 5 including drugs with potentially limited efficacy or limited clinical evidence. In the revised WHO classification, exclusively aimed at managing drug-resistant cases, medicines were again listed in a hierarchical order from Group A to D. In parallel, a possible future classification was independently proposed. Aim of the present viewpoint is to describe the evolution in WHO TB classifications (taking into account an independently proposed new classification) and recent changes in WHO guidance, while commenting on the differences among them. The latest evidence on the ex-Group five drugs is also discussed.
PMID: 27818361 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Author: