Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - 08:00 to 09:15
Geneva

On 29-30 January the World Health Organization (WHO) will convene an expert group meeting on the use of bedaquiline for treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

The meeting follows the approval of the new TB drug on 28 December by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of combination therapy to treat adults in the US with MDR-TB when other alternatives are not available.

Experts at the WHO meeting will review the available evidence on the safety and effectiveness of bedaquiline, provide advice on its potential contribution to MDR-TB treatment and recommend whether WHO should produce provisional guidance on the use of the drug to supplement its existing guidance on the MDR-TB treatment.