Failure with acquired resistance of an optimised bedaquiline-based treatment regimen for pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease

5 years ago, a then 50-year-old woman presented with long-standing fatigue, dyspnoea and a chronic productive cough. Based on a computed tomography scan of the thorax and multiple positive cultures, she was diagnosed with nodular–bronchiectatic Mycobacterium avium pulmonary disease; she was also found to have a heterozygous F508del CFTR gene mutation. She commenced therapy with rifabutin 300 mg once daily, ethambutol 1200 mg once daily and azithromycin 500 mg once daily. After 15 months of ongoing symptoms, radiographic deterioration and persistent culture positivity, clofazimine 100 mg once daily and thrice weekly intravenous amikacin 15 mg·kg–1 were added to the regimen. Amikacin was halted after 4 months; the remaining four drugs were continued. The dose of azithromycin was lowered to 250 mg once daily after 9 months because of hearing loss.

Source: European Respiratory Journal - July 10, 2019 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Zweijpfenning, S. M. H., Schildkraut, J. A., Coolen, J. P. M., Ruesen, C., Koenraad, E., Janssen, A., Ruth, M. M., de Jong, A. S., Kuipers, S., Aarnoutse, R. E., Magis-Escurra, C., Hoefsloot, W., van Ingen, J. Tags: Original Articles: Research letters Source Type: research