Symposium on Emerging Resistance to Novel Tuberculosis Drugs

See 2024 Presentations here

For the first time in 50 years, novel antimycobacterial agents have been developed, allowing major leaps forward in tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Recent clinical trials showcase remarkable advances in treating multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) with the introduction of new all-oral regimens incorporating drugs such as Bedaquiline, nitroimidazoles, and repurposed agents. These drugs also play crucial roles in experimental regimens for ultra-short courses in drug-susceptible TB, TB infection treatment, and universal TB regimens (e.g., PAN-TB), showing promise in shortening treatment duration and improving outcomes across the TB spectrum.

However, with global implementation of these new regimens, there has been a growing recognition of drug resistance. Bedaquiline resistance now parallels Rifampicin resistance in drug-susceptible TB, revealing gaps in understanding these drugs from scientific, epidemiological, clinical, and behavioral perspectives.

Responding to these challenges, we have organized a Symposium on Emerging Resistance to Novel Tuberculosis Drugs on March 20-21, 2024, at Columbia University in New York City. The event will bring together a diverse group of experts to identify challenges and create cross-sectoral recommendations for addressing emerging resistance to novel anti-TB agents. Participants will include basic scientists, microbiologists, geneticists, immunologists, clinicians, public health workers, implementation scientists, modelers, social and behavioral scientists, activists, and TB survivors. The symposium will explore themes such as surveillance and diagnosis of TB drug resistance, treatment of DR-TB, individualized regimens, and social drivers of TB drug resistance.