Q. BPaLM Regimen, recently seen in the news, is associated with which disease?
Answer:
Tuberculosis
Notes: The Union Health Ministry recently introduced the BPaLM regimen for treating Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) under the National TB Elimination Program. The BPaLM regimen combines four drugs: Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and optionally Moxifloxacin. Pretomanid is a new anti-TB drug approved for use in India. The regimen is safer, more effective, and patient-friendly compared to traditional treatments. It is an all-oral treatment with fewer side effects and a shorter duration of just six months, compared to the previous 20-month treatments for drug-resistant TB.