Philippines Achieves 98% Treatment Success with BPaL: Study Confirms Breakthrough Sparked by LIFT-TB

The momentum behind the global shift to six-month, all-oral BPaL/M regimens continues to accelerate, and one of the strongest catalysts for that change was the LIFT-TB initiative, supported by TB Alliance and partners across seven countries. LIFT-TB was among the first large-scale efforts to demonstrate that the BPaL regimen could deliver treatment outcomes in real world health systems that mirrored results in clinical trials.  

Now, the Philippines, one of the standout LIFT-TB countries, has released the formal publication of its BPaL operational research results, which found a 98% treatment success rate among the 96 people treated across 12 TB treatment centers in 10 regions. Most side effects observed were mild to moderate. 

Countries that participated in LIFT-TB were not only able build a local evidence base for the BPaL/M regimens, but get a head start on the process of regimen change, including building of local capacity, buy-in from national TB programs (NTPs) and governments and the training of healthcare professionals.  

From Research to National Scale-Up to Helping Hub for Others 

One of the most impressive aspects of the Philippines’ experience is the speed at which BPaL moved from research to nationwide program rollout. With their LIFT-TB experience as strong foundation, the Philippines’ NTP rapidly updated national guidelines, scaled capacity building across all regions, and were able to treat 70% of DR-TB patients by the end of 2024—with rates continuing to increase.  

Philippines emergence as a global leader in the adoption and implementation of the BPaL/M regimens made it a natural home for the PeerLINC Knowledge Hub, an initiative launched in March of 2024, in which rapid adopters of the BPaL/M regimens provided peer-based support and training to other countries seeking to accelerate their own adoption and implementation of the regimens. Since launch, PeerLINC has supported 41 countries’ BPaL/M rollout processes.   

Affected Communities and a DR-TB Treatment Revolution 

The world is truly in the midst of a people-friendly transformation of DR-TB treatment that is saving lives and money. While the Philippines was one of the initial epicenters of this change, this movement is now global, with momentum partially fueled by the voices TB-affected communities. This is what Fast Track the Cure is about, sharing knowledge about new DR-TB treatments and accelerating the overall uptake of these new regimens. The rollout of BPaL/M has been the fastest, widest, and most equitable of a new TB drug in modern history, but there is still work to do to make sure every person who needs these new treatments can access them.  

Fast Track the Cure will continue to support and empower community-led voices to ensure nobody is left behind this DR-TB treatment revolution.