TY - JOUR
KW - Bedaquiline
KW - Multibacillary leprosy
KW - Clinical trial
KW - Leprosy
KW - Mycobacterium leprae
AU - Fomba A
AU - Haidara FC
AU - Kodio M
AU - Arama C
AU - Cambau E
AU - Chauffour A
AU - Veziris N
AU - Broeckling BE
AU - Warren AK
AU - Cauchoix B
AU - Alcaïs A
AU - Marsollier L
AU - Assé H
AU - Jackson M
AU - Sow SO
AU - Faye O
AU - Jarlier V
AU - Cole ST
AU - Avanzi C
AU - Aubry A
AU - Johnson RC
AB - <p>Leprosy, caused by <em>Mycobacterium leprae</em>, remains a public health challenge, with treatment limited by drug resistance and side effects. In the open-label BDQ4LEP clinical trial in Bamako, Mali, we evaluated the bactericidal efficacy of bedaquiline in 30 patients with untreated multibacillary leprosy. Patients received bedaquiline for 8 weeks, followed by standard multidrug therapy for one year. Skin biopsies were analyzed for microbiologic and molecular markers. Bedaquiline treatment led to significant reductions in bacillary and molecular viability indices, with 96% culture negativity by day 56. No relapses occurred during one-year follow-up. These results suggest bedaquiline is a promising candidate for shortening and improving leprosy treatment.</p>

BT - New England Journal of Medicine
DO - 10.1056/nejmc2412487
IS - 21
LA - eng
M3 - Correspondence
N2 - <p>Leprosy, caused by <em>Mycobacterium leprae</em>, remains a public health challenge, with treatment limited by drug resistance and side effects. In the open-label BDQ4LEP clinical trial in Bamako, Mali, we evaluated the bactericidal efficacy of bedaquiline in 30 patients with untreated multibacillary leprosy. Patients received bedaquiline for 8 weeks, followed by standard multidrug therapy for one year. Skin biopsies were analyzed for microbiologic and molecular markers. Bedaquiline treatment led to significant reductions in bacillary and molecular viability indices, with 96% culture negativity by day 56. No relapses occurred during one-year follow-up. These results suggest bedaquiline is a promising candidate for shortening and improving leprosy treatment.</p>

PB - Massachusetts Medical Society
PY - 2025
SP - 2174
EP - 2176
T2 - New England Journal of Medicine
TI - Bedaquiline Activity against Leprosy
UR - https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMc2412487
VL - 392
SN - 0028-4793, 1533-4406
ER -