A Four-Drug Fixed-Dose Combination Regimen for TB

Using four drugs in a fixed-dose combination was just as safe and effective for intensive TB treatment as using the same drugs separately.

Because it improves adherence without reducing effectiveness, the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of isoniazid and rifampin is widely used for the final 4 months of treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Some studies have suggested that FDCs might also be safe and effective during the initial 2-month intensive phase of treatment. Now, researchers have explored this possibility further, in a multinational, open-label, noninferiority trial.

A total of 1585 adults with apparent pulmonary TB were randomized to receive daily isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide — either as an FDC or as separate drugs — for 8 weeks. All patients were then switched to isoniazid/rifampin for 16 weeks. Treatment was directly observed in both groups.

Three…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

A Four-Drug Fixed-Dose Combination Regimen for TB

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Reviewing Author