WHO Establishes New Goals for Long-Acting TB Injections

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced new objectives for long-acting injectables (LAIs) designed for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Traditional TB treatment relies heavily on daily oral medications taken over extended periods, which can be challenging for many patients to adhere to consistently. Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO's HIV, TB, hepatitis, and STIs department, emphasized that LAIs could significantly simplify the TB treatment process, making it more accessible for those in need.

The new profile for TB preventive treatment envisions a regimen that allows for a complete course to be administered as a single injection during one visit. This approach aims to limit the treatment duration to no more than four months, ideally delivered in three or fewer sessions. The WHO's guidelines stipulate that these injections should be administered by trained healthcare professionals at the lowest possible level of the health system, ensuring that the injection volumes are small and that the treatments do not require cold storage.

The initiative also highlights the importance of maintaining efficacy and safety standards that are at least comparable to existing oral treatment regimens. The document outlines various trade-offs between different treatment characteristics and addresses critical factors such as trial design, treatment burden, scalability, equitable access, and transparent pricing.

To support the development of these new treatment profiles, WHO established a Scientific Target Regimen Profile (TRP) development group. This group comprises trialists, pharmacologists, regulators, national TB program officers, individuals with personal experiences of TB, and civil society representatives. Their work has been informed by extensive landscape analyses, public consultations held in April and May 2026, and various community and provider surveys, including focus group discussions and a multicountry discrete choice experiment.

Looking ahead, the WHO's initiative could lead to significant advancements in TB management, potentially reducing the number of deaths associated with the disease. As several candidates for LAIs move toward clinical development, the global health community is optimistic about the future of TB treatment and prevention.