Unitaid-Funded Consortium to Provide 250,000 Patient Courses of TB Preventive Treatment Regimens in Seven Countries

The Aurum Institute-led IMPAACT4TB Consortium, funded by Unitaid, has announced that it will supply 250,000 patient courses of short course rifapentine-based preventive treatment regimens to seven countries to help prevent tuberculosis (TB). The contribution is part of the Consortium’s ongoing efforts to end TB and improve global health outcomes. The seven countries set to benefit from this initiative are Brazil, Haiti, India, the Maldives, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing around 4,400 people every day. TB preventive treatment regimens, such as rifapentine-based regimens, lower the risk of progression to TB in people at risk, including children, pregnant women, and people living with HIV. The patient courses consist of two rifapentine-based regimens: 3HP, a three-month oral treatment taken once weekly, and 1HP, a 28-day oral treatment taken once daily, increasing choice for patients needing TB preventive treatment.

In addition to providing the patient courses, the IMPAACT4TB Consortium will also provide technical assistance to countries in their implementation efforts, including identifying populations that could benefit from TB prevention, and determining the most appropriate regimen for them.

The IMPAACT4TB Consortium’s provision of the patient courses, made possible due to cost savings achieved over the past five years, is part of the Consortium’s broader strategy to reduce the cost of rifapentine. By working with global partners and manufacturers, the Consortium helped significantly reduce the access price of a three-month patient course of weekly rifapentine and isoniazid, from US$72 to US$14.25.

TB preventive treatment regimens are becoming increasingly available in many high-burden TB countries, where they are modeled to be cost-effective for both people living with HIV and household contacts of all ages, regardless of whether contact investigation is already in place. However, despite this progress, key groups and areas are still behind target. The Consortium’s initiative is expected to contribute significantly to the global effort to reduce the incidence of TB and finally make TB a disease of the past.