Availability of fixed-dose, child-friendly formulations of first-line tuberculosis drugs in Europe. Issue 3 (30th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Noguera-Julian, Antoni; Buonsenso, Danilo; McKenna, Lindsay; Seddon, James A.; Ritz, Nicole
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 58:Issue 3(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09-30
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01196-2021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

The administration of drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in children can be time-consuming and challenging, and non-adherence is a major cause of treatment failure [1]. Several factors may contribute to non-adherence, including lack of paediatric formulations, pill burden, fasting requirements, palatability, length of therapy and toxicity. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has pushed for the development of child-friendly TB medicines that meet the dosage guidelines set in 2009 [2]. These should include paediatric fixed-dose combinations (pFDCs) of first-line oral TB drugs, which are dispersible, palatable, simple to administer and affordable [3]. Some of these pFDCs have been developed and produced by Macleods (India) and Micro Labs (India), are WHO-prequalified (WHO Prequalification of Medicines Programme, PQP) and were included in the sixth edition of the WHO Essential Medicines List for Children in 2017 [4]. The paediatric fixed-dose combinations of TB drugs are not available in Europe, where the pill burden and palatability of paediatric TB treatment is not acceptable. The introduction of child-friendly TB drugs into Europe is urgently needed. https://bit.ly/3fTgw1I