TB Proof is an advocacy group consisting of a group of part time volunteers passionate about eliminating the suffering of TB patients. Most of the volunteers are medically trained. One of our advocacy activities is promoting the accelerated development, testing and compassionate use of novel TB drugs: I was very fortunate to get compassionate access to bedaquiline in 2011, but the South African Medicines Control Council inexplicably withdrew approval shortly thereafter. Access is slowly improving, but development of promising new drugs remains hamstrung by various financial and legislative restraints. Safety and efficacy are critically important, but these considerations should be balanced against the low efficacy and tolerability of existing ‘treatment’ options.