The European Commission (EC) has provided conditional marketing authorization for pretomanid, a novel compound developed by TB Alliance, when used in combination with bedaquiline and linezolid as part of a six month, all-oral regimen for the treatment of adults with XDR-TB or treatment-intolerant or non-responsive MDR-TB. TB Alliance made an announcement on August 3rd that the three-drug regimen provides a new treatment option for patients in the European Union.

Earlier this week, Johnson & Johnson announced a reduction in the price for bedaquiline in low- and middle-income countries, as part of a collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership's Global Drug Facility (GDF). The immediate change in price will make bedaquiline available through the GDF at the price of USD340 per six-month treatment course for more than 135 eligible countries. This initiative was done with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and USAID. 

On March 25th, Qurient announced the results of their Phase 2 Clinical Trial  (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03563599), which was a prospective, randomized, open-label trial for proof of concept in humans of their novel anti-tuberculosis drug, Telacebec (Q203). The trial involved 61 newly-diagnosed patients with drug-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis.