Research Centre Borstel: Long-Term Cure Rates for Multidrug-Resistant TB Much Better Than Expected

17 April 2026

Research Centre Borstel news release

A new national cohort study from Latvia, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the clinical TB infrastructure (ClinTB) at the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) at the Research Centre Borstel, Leibniz Lung Centre (FZB), provides important insights into the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB. The study shows that long-term disease-free survival rates are significantly higher than previous standard indicators suggest. The results, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, are based on the analysis of data from 1,299 adult patients treated between 2005 and 2021.

Multidrug-resistant TB poses a significant challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Whilst the effectiveness of treatment is traditionally assessed on the basis of treatment outcomes at the end of therapy, the new study shows that these criteria underestimate the actual long-term success of treatment. According to WHO standard definitions, only 4.8% of patients in Latvia were considered cured. However, during long-term follow-up, 76.9% of those affected remained permanently relapse-free.

Read the full news release here.

Source: Research Centre Borstel