Trial of High-Dose Rifampin in Patients With TB

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of high doses of rifampin (RIF) to shorten treatment for tuberculosis (TB) without causing more adverse events. The hypotheses are that higher doses of RIF will result in higher blood concentrations of RIF; higher blood concentrations will result in tuberculosis bugs being killed more quickly; and, both of these will happen without more adverse events. Patients with active, infectious, drug-susceptible TB who agree to participate will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 doses of RIF. All patients will also receive standard doses of regular (3) companion drugs for 2 months of daily, supervised therapy. The study will assess the following among the 3 study arms (oral doses of RIF 10, 15 \& 20 mg/kg/day) during the initial 8 weeks of treatment: 1) the amount of RIF in the blood after at least 14 days of treatment; 2) the difference in the number of tuberculosis bugs killed; 3) the frequency of adverse events.

Timeline

Start

2013-09

Primary completion

2016-04

Completion

2016-04

Publications

• Background Milstein M, Lecca L, Peloquin C, Mitchison D, Seung K, Pagano M, Coleman D, Osso E, Coit J, Vargas Vasquez DE, Sanchez Garavito E, Calderon R, Contreras C, Davies G, Mitnick CD. Evaluation of high-dose rifampin in patients with new, smear-positive tuberculosis (HIRIF): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Aug 27;16(1):453. doi: 10.1186/s12879-016-1790-x.
• Results Peloquin CA, Velasquez GE, Lecca L, Calderon RI, Coit J, Milstein M, Osso E, Jimenez J, Tintaya K, Sanchez Garavito E, Vargas Vasquez D, Mitnick CD, Davies G. Pharmacokinetic Evidence from the HIRIF Trial To Support Increased Doses of Rifampin for Tuberculosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017 Jul 25;61(8):e00038-17. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00038-17. Print 2017 Aug.
• Mackay E, Platt G, Peloquin CA, Brooks MB, Coit JM, Velasquez GE, Pertinez H, Vargas D, Sanchez E, Calderon RI, Jimenez J, Tintaya K, Garcia D, Osso E, Lecca L, Mitnick C, Davies GR. Impact of Pharmacogenetics on Pharmacokinetics of First-Line Antituberculosis Drugs in the HIRIF Trial. J Infect Dis. 2025 Aug 14;232(2):e258-e265. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf195.

Drugs

Indications