WHO Proposes Single Injection To Prevent TB (Credits: AI) For people who need tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment, keeping track of all the medications for months can be a challenge. But what if an entire course of preventive treatment could eventually be delivered through a single injection? That is one of the goals outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has released new targets for the development of long-acting injectable medicines for TB prevention and treatment. The announcement, made on October 28, 2026, could mark an important step towards making TB care less demanding for patients. However, there is a crucial distinction: These targets have been set by WHO for future treatments, not announced as something patients can receive today. WHO has published Target Regimen Profiles (TRPs) that outline what researchers and pharmaceutical companies should aim to achieve when developing long-acting injectable treatments for TB. These profiles cover two distinct goals. For TB preventive treatment, WHO wants a complete course to be delivered through a single injection during one healthcare visit. For people with active TB disease, the target is a treatment regimen lasting no more than four months, administered across three or fewer dosing visits. These are development targets, rather than confirmed treatment options. Several injectable candidates for TB are entering or approaching clinical development, but they must still demonstrate that they are safe and effective. TB prevention and treatment currently rely on oral medicines taken over weeks or months. Although effective treatments exist, completing a prolonged course can be difficult for people managing work, family responsibilities, travel costs and repeated healthcare visits. Long-acting injectables could help reduce this burden by releasing medicine over an extended period. Fewer doses could make preventive treatment easier to complete and simplify how healthcare systems deliver care. However, these potential benefits will need to be demonstrated through clinical studies. Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO's Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, said the profiles aim to help developers create treatments that simplify TB care without compromising effectiveness, safety or patient choice. WHO has outlined several practical requirements for these future medicines. They should be administered by trained healthcare workers, require no cold-chain storage and be suitable for delivery at the lowest feasible level of the healthcare system. Single Injection To Prevent TB instead of medicines (Credits: iStock) Crucially, their safety and effectiveness must be at least comparable to those of existing oral regimens. WHO also wants the development process to consider affordability, equitable access and the overall burden of treatment. The aim is not simply to replace tablets with injections, but to develop an option that works for patients and healthcare providers in real-world settings. That remains uncertain. The WHO announcement does not establish a launch date or confirm that a single-injection preventive treatment is ready for public use. Drug developers must establish safety and effectiveness through research and clinical trials before such products can become available. WHO has also stressed that the development of better oral treatments should continue, since some patients may prefer tablets over injections. For now, patients should continue following their prescribed TB prevention or treatment regimen and should not stop or change medication based on this announcement. The bottom line: A single injection for TB prevention could eventually reduce the burden of months of medication, while shorter injectable regimens could change how active TB is treated. For now, these are goals for future drug development, not treatments patients can access today. Simran covers books that start conversations, beauty insights, fashion moods, and stories that make people feel something. Off duty? You’ll find her c... View More