Globally, there are very few children who have access to delamanid compared with the likely number who could benefit from it. Healthcare providers have described a number of challenges to the access of delamanid. The compassionate use mechanism, despite efforts to facilitate quick access, is a long, multistep and time-demanding process (request, permission for importation/use, informed consent, health staff training on the compassionate use protocol, reporting requirements and importation). This can result in substantial delays in treatment initiation, which could adversely affect treatment outcome. In this letter to the editor, the authors stress upon the need for a case to case evaluation from independent bodies to contribute to an increase in the appropriate use of new drugs among children and adolescents.
