Three characteristics of an anti-tuberculosis drug are particularly important: the ability to prevent the emergence of resistance to a companion drug, particularly to isoniazid; the early bactericidal activity, i.e., the ability of the drug to kill large numbers of tubercle bacilli within the first few days of treatment; and its sterilizing activity, i.e., the ability to remove persisting organisms and thereby reduce the risk of relapse subsequent to cessation of chemotherapy.

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