How to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

The World Health Organization has updated its recommendations for treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, outlining steps that the agency says could lead to improved outcomes. First, the WHO grouped TB medications into three classes based on when they should be used and specified that two drugs, kanamycin and capreomycin, should be avoided because of the risk of treatment failure. Secondly, the agency is calling for all patients to be treated with oral drugs because they are now more powerful than injectable drugs, which also come with more side effects and adherence issues. The recommendations are part of a broader effort from the international community to address TB: WHO is issuing new guidelines for TB treatment by the end of the year and the U.N. is holding a high-level meeting focused on TB next month.