Approved by the FDA today, this is a 3-drug cocktail which has shown a 90% cure rate against a highly deadly strain of TB called "XDR" (eXtensively Drug Resistant) in a small trail of 109 patients. It consists of pretomanid, bedaquiline, and linezolid, dosed daily for 6 months.<p>Pretomanid was developed by the TB Alliance, and is targeted to be offered at a cost of $1 per dose. Back in 2000, apparently they raised about ~$150 million for drug development [1], I'm curious how much more they raised/spent since then to get to this point.<p>Bedaquiline was developed by Janssen, it's not clear at what cost. They have a tiered pricing structure for a 6-month course ($900/$3,000/$30,000) but 3rd world cost has recently come down to $360. [2]<p>Linezolid was developed by Pfizer, off patent since 2015. Pfizer doesn't seem to limit the cost in South Africa to any reasonable extent, charging between $60 - $150 per dose depending on who is buying it. However at least generics have come online in pill form for ~$7/dose [3]<p>It sure would be nice if the development costs from Janssen and Pfizer were public, since it makes it basically impossible to compare, but the development model for pretomanid, and the innovative funding of the trials through TB Alliance to me demonstrates -- at least for diseases which are prevalent enough to build these alliances and obtain the donations -- a truly superior approach to providing treatment options <i>for the world</i> at prices that the <i>world</i> can afford.<p>Congratulations to everyone involved for reaching such an impressive outcome, and particularly for doing it in an ethically responsible and economical approach. XDR TB is not currently extremely prevalent (seems like < 5% of all TB, but growing), but this is the first new TB drug approved in apparently in 40 years, and changes a 60% fatal diagnosis into a 90% curable disease, with a much simpler treatment protocol.<p>[1] - <a href="https://www.tballiance.org/news/public-private-partnership-attacks-tuberculosis-aim-spur-development-new-drugs" rel="nofollow">https://www.tballiance.org/news/public-private-partnership-a...</a><p>[2] - <a href="http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/sites/default/files/reality_check_bedaquiline_10_16_18.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/sites/default/files/real...</a><p>[3] - <a href="http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/tb/linezolid-factsheet" rel="nofollow">http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/tb/linezolid-factsheet</a>