Current and developing therapies for the treatment of multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in India

India accounts for 25% of the global burden of MDR-TB. In 2016, the India's Revised National TB Control Programme reported a success rate of 46% among 19,298 MDR-TB patients treated under the programme. This suboptimal treatment outcome warrants an urgent need for newer drugs and newer regimens in the treatment of MDR-TB. India requires new shorter, cheap, safe and effective anti-TB regimen to treat MDR-TB. Areas covered: We used different search strategies to obtain relevant literature from PubMed, on Indian experiences of developing therapies for the treatment of MDR-TB. Further information from the Central TB Division Government of India on programmatic management of resistant TB was collected. Expert opinion: In 2016 WHO recommended a shorter MDR-TB regimen of 9-12 months (4-6 Km-Mfx-Pto-Cfz-Z-Hhigh-dose-E /5 Mfx-Cfz-Z-E) may be used instead of longer regimens. Currently, conducting trials involving newer drugs such as bedaquiline, have been proposed. The regimen will be of a shorter duration containing isoniazid, prothionamide, bedaquiline, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide (STREAM regimen). To successfully treat MDR-TB one requires new classes of antibiotic and newer diagnostic tests. This represents an enormous financial and technical challenge to the programme managers and policy makers.