Why was streptomycin especially important for treating tuberculosis?

Streptomycin was especially important for treating tuberculosis because it was the first antibiotic discovered that was effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus responsible for the disease.12

While penicillin was a revolutionary medical advancement, it was notably inactive against the tubercle bacillus. Following its discovery in 1943 by Selman Waksman and his colleagues, streptomycin provided a critical breakthrough in clinical medicine. Although the bacterium eventually developed resistance to the drug, its introduction—and subsequent use in combination with other agents like para-aminosalicylic acid and isoniazid—allowed tuberculosis to be brought under control for the first time.231