Short-Course Rifapentine for Latent TB?

Three months after treatment completion, no relapses of pulmonary TB were seen among mice that received 8 weeks of the long-acting rifamycin rifapentine.

Treating latent TB infection (LTBI) is an important element of TB control. Currently, therapy usually involves isoniazid (INH) for 6 to 12 months. The combination of rifampin (RIF) plus pyrazinamide (PZA) for 2 months, although effective, is associated with hepatotoxicity. Rifapentine (RPT) is a new rifamycin with a half-life five times longer than that of RIF. This property may allow for increased efficacy in eradicating the low mycobacterial burden associated with LTBI.

To assess this possibility, researchers at Johns Hopkins University used a murine model of chronic pulmonary TB. Mice were immunized using one of two BCG vaccines and then were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis 6 weeks later, resulting in a stable lung bacterial burd…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

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Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Short-Course Rifapentine for Latent TB?

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Reviewing Author