First patient graduates from the six-month
all-oral BPaL regimen

“Masaya ako sa naging result at masaya rin yung family ko.” [I am happy with the result (of my treatment) and my family is also happy.].

These were the words of 36 year old Mary (not her actual name) who was the very first patient to receive the BPaL regimen in June 2021 and the first to graduate successfully from treatment in December 2021. Mary underwent several treatments for drug-resistant TB in 2018 with much challenge. When she was first diagnosed with TB, she was initially given 6 months of treatment but eventually developed rifampicin resistance which was aggravated by her diabetes. She was then treated with 9 months of painful injectable-based shorter regimen, however this too failed as she turned out to be fluoroquinolone-resistant. Thereafter, she was prescribed a longer regimen which she refused, succumbing to the weight of hopelessness for recovery.  Dr. Irene Flores, Principal Investigator (PI) of the OR, based in Jose B. Lingad Memorial and General Hospital (JBL), presented to her the BPaL option, and convinced her to undergo the shorter novel treatment, a journey which she started on 31 May 2021 when she gave her consent.

Asked what motivated her to submit to the BPaL regimen at the time she commenced treatment, she uttered, “Gusto ko na po talagang gumaling agad kaya mas ok po sa akin, at tingin ko po kakayanin ko yung BPaL." [I really want to get well fast; so, BPaL is better for me, and I think I can take it.].  It is this renewed hope offered by a better alternative for treatment, coupled only with her strong will to overcome her illness, that armed her towards a successful journey of recovery. 

To date, the BPaL OR has graduated a total of five patients as of December 2021 including three other patients from JBL and one from Ilocos Training and Research Medical Center (ITRMC) who were all enrolled in June 2021.  Further echoing the effectiveness of the BPaL treatment as expressed by Mary, one of the patient graduates attested, “Konti lang yung pills. Hindi na ganun kabigat. Madaling tanggapin yung gamot na yon kaysa before. Wala ring suka…” [The pills are few. It’s not anymore that heavy to take. My body found it easy to take the medicines compared to the past medicines. There is no vomiting…”]

At the end of their individual journeys towards healing, these OR graduates found not only a cure but also a collective sense of commitment – to encourage others with the same condition to take the same path as they did.

BPaL is a 6-month all-oral treatment regimen combining three component drugs:  Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid to treat MDR and XDR-TB.  The BPaL operational research is a 2-year study endorsed by the Department of Health and led by the National TB Control Program (NTP) through a dedicated Research Team to test the effectiveness and safety of the BPaL regimen.  The OR has currently enrolled 27 patients and seeks to reach 100 enrollees by the end of 2022.

We would like to acknowledge with thanks TB People Philippines, headed by Ms. Louie Teng, for putting together the video presentations of BPaL health workers and M/XDR-TB survivors, from which the above quotes were taken. TB People Philippines is an advocacy group of people affected with TB who are supporting the NTP and the BPaL operational research.