Bedaquiline and delamanid in tuberculosis

Introduction: In recent years, a pressing need to develop new, effective and safe drugs against tuberculosis (TB) has continued. Poor adherence to a long therapeutic regimen against TB, intermittent drug use, errors in medical prescriptions, low quality of old TB drugs and ineffective TB control have led to the emergence of resistant TB. Areas covered: Two new drugs have gained importance and seem promising against resistant TB: bedaquiline and delamanid. This review summarizes the main characteristics of these two drugs and their role in TB management. Expert opinion: Bedaquiline and delamanid appear to be promising new anti-TB drugs. Due to a mechanism of action that is different from that of other available drugs, their efficacy has appeared optimal in cases of adults with resistant pulmonary TB. Although their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles seem optimal, potential cardiologic side effects such as QT-interval prolongation have been associated with their use. However, specific studies performed in the pediatric population are needed to confirm these results. This seems particularly important considering the long duration of TB treatment required for resistant TB as well as the potential interactions with other drugs included in anti-TB regimens or administered for an underlying comorbidity.