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Scott A. Nabity, MD1,2; Rocio Agraz-Lara, MSN3,4; Angelito Bravo, MD4,5; Robert Benjamin, MD4,6; Vanessa Fong, MPH1,2; C. Kin Lam, MS, MPH1,2; Chris Keh, MD1; Sundari Mase, MD4,6,7; Jennifer Flood, MD1 (View author affiliations)
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Tuberculosis (TB) drug supply disruptions are a recurring concern in the United States (1). Contributors to these disruptions include loss of manufacturers to the U.S. market, inefficient supply chains, and lack of active ingredients available for import.* The last severe U.S. TB drug shortage occurred in 2012, when isoniazid (INH) was temporarily unavailable for several months (2). INH and rifampin (RIF) are the cornerstones for treatment of drug-susceptible TB, and rifapentine (RPT), a long acting rifamycin, has been incorporated into shorter first-line regimens† to treat both latent TB infection (LTBI) (3) and TB disease§ (4). In recent years, the U.S. supply of several TB drugs has again been disrupted. The Food and Drug Administration has declared shortages of RPT (on March 25, 2020), RIF (on December 22, 2021), and INH (on May 17, 2023).¶ Approximately one fifth of all U.S. TB cases are reported from California (5). TB drug procurement is decentralized among the state’s 61 local TB programs,** mirroring the decentralization among U.S. states and territories. The California Department of Public Health and the California TB Controllers Association assessed the impact of the shortage on California’s TB programs.
Investigation and Outcomes
A web-based Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) survey (version 13.1.30; Vanderbilt University) was distributed to TB controllers and program managers of all 61 California TB programs†† to assess delays in availability§§ and unavailability of oral first- and second-line TB drugs during the preceding 12 months. On a priority scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest), programs ranked the importance of addressing TB drug instability relative to other TB control priorities. Respondents were encouraged to confer with program, clinic, and pharmacy colleagues to obtain a single, comprehensive response for the TB program in each local health jurisdiction. Programs were categorized according to their average annual number of TB cases during 2016–2021 as high (15 or more cases) or low (fewer than 15 cases). This activity was reviewed by CDC and the California Department of Public Health, deemed not research, and conducted consistent with CDC policy.¶¶
Overall, 54 (89%) programs responded, including all categorized as high case-count programs. The mean priority level assigned to ensuring a stable supply of TB drugs was 8.6 (95% CI = 8.1–9.2) among all programs and 9.4 (95% CI = 8.8–9.9) among high case-count programs. Among the 50 programs in California reporting at least one TB case during 2016–2021, 32 (64%) experienced a delay in availability or unavailability of any oral first-line TB drug (Table). First-line oral TB drug supply interruptions led to delayed initiations or temporary pauses in treatment of TB disease or LTBI (37% for all programs and 55% for high case-count programs) and permanent changes in the choice of drugs to treat TB disease or LTBI and the duration of treatment (33% for all programs and 65% for high case-count programs). TB drug supply interruptions led to a negative patient outcome for 6% of all TB programs: two TB programs reported at least one case of prolonged treatment and a third program reported at least one adverse drug event.
Conclusions and Actions
Ensuring drug availability is a high priority for TB programs. This survey in California identified a high frequency of TB drug interruptions in 2022, which led to delayed treatment initiations and permanent regimen changes and restricted implementation of short-course regimens for both LTBI and TB disease. Programs also reported preventable negative patient outcomes caused by drug delays or unavailability. Limitations of this analysis included a retrospective study design, possibility of recall bias, and variability in respondents’ interpretation of the definitions of access delays and unavailability of TB drugs. To meet the standards of practice for TB disease and LTBI, and to continue progress toward TB elimination, California has established a centralized buffer supply of several TB drugs. Securing a more stable TB drug supply might avert some of the unfavorable clinical and programmatic effects of TB treatment interruptions.
Acknowledgments
Survey respondents at the local TB programs.
1Tuberculosis Control Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California; 2Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC; 3San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California; 4California Tuberculosis Controllers Association, San Francisco, California; 5Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, California; 6Sonoma County Department of Health Services, Santa Rosa, California; 7Division of Global Migration and Health, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC.
References
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- CDC. Impact of a shortage of first-line antituberculosis medication on tuberculosis control—United States, 2012–2013. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2013;62:398–400. PMID:23698604
- Sterling TR, Njie G, Zenner D, et al. Guidelines for the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection: recommendations from the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association and CDC, 2020. MMWR Recomm Rep 2020;69(No. RR-1):1–11. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.rr6901a1 PMID:32053584
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| Effects on program | no./No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| High case-count programs* | All programs | |
| Delay† | ||
| Rifampin | 15/20 (75.0) | 25/50 (50.0) |
| Rifapentine | 16/20 (80.0) | 25/50 (50.0) |
| Rifabutin | 1/20 (5.0) | 5/50 (10.0) |
| Isoniazid | 5/20 (25.0) | 8/50 (16.0) |
| Pyrazinamide | 5/20 (25.0) | 8/50 (16.0) |
| Ethambutol | 3/20 (15.0) | 3/50 (5.0) |
| Any second-line TB drug§ | 5/20 (25.0) | 8/50 (16.0) |
| Unavailability† | ||
| Rifampin | 6/20 (30.0) | 11/50 (22.0) |
| Rifapentine | 14/20 (70.0) | 20/50 (40.0) |
| Rifabutin | 0/20 (—) | 2/50 (4.0) |
| Isoniazid | 4/20 (20.0) | 4/50 (8.0) |
| Pyrazinamide | 0/20 (—) | 2/50 (4.0) |
| Ethambutol | 3/20 (14.0) | 2/50 (4.0) |
| Any second-line TB drug§ | 1/20 (5.0) | 2/50 (4.0) |
| Delayed initiation or paused treatment | 11/20 (55.0) | 20/54 (37.0) |
| TB disease only | 2/11 (18.2) | 5/20 (25.0) |
| LTBI only | 8/11 (72.7) | 11/20 (55.0) |
| Both TB disease and LTBI | 1/11 (9.1) | 4/20 (20.0) |
| Permanently changed regimen | 13/20 (65.0) | 18/54 (33.3) |
| TB disease only | 2/13 (15.4) | 2/18 (11.1) |
| LTBI only | 11/13 (84.6) | 15/18 (83.3) |
| Both TB disease and LTBI | 0/13 (—) | 1/18 (5.6) |
| Recorded a negative patient outcome¶ | 2/20 (10.0) | 3/54 (5.6) |
| Not using 3HP due to rifapentine unavailability** | 11/12 (91.7) | 13/24 (54.2) |
| Not using 4HPMZ due to rifapentine unavailability** | 5/13 (38.5) | 5/31 (16.1) |
Abbreviations: LTBI = latent tuberculosis infection; TB = tuberculosis; 3HP = 3-month regimen of weekly isoniazid and rifapentine for LTBI treatment; 4HPMZ = 4-month regimen of isoniazid, rifapentine, moxifloxacin, and pyrazinamide for drug-sensitive TB disease.
* High case-count programs are those reporting 15 or more TB cases during 2016–2021.
† Denominator includes only those programs reporting one or more TB case during 2016–2021.
§ Oral second-line TB drugs included cycloserine, ethionamide, levofloxacin, linezolid, moxifloxacin, para-aminosalicylate, and pretomanid. Bedaquiline and clofazimine were not included in this survey because they have unique procurement processes.
¶ One program recorded a negative patient outcome for LTBI only, and two reported negative patient outcomes for both TB disease and LTBI (two programs reported at least one case with prolonged treatment and one program reported at least one adverse drug event).
** Denominator restricted to programs not using the stated regimen.
Suggested citation for this article: Nabity SA, Agraz-Lara R, Bravo A, et al. Notes from the Field: Supply Interruptions of First- and Second-Line Oral Drugs to Treat Tuberculosis During the Previous 12 Months — California, January–March, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;72:1390–1391. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm725253a2.
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