Shorter and Safer Treatment Regimens for Latent TB
SSTARLET: Shorter and Safer Treatment Regimens for Latent TB
McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
1,800 participants
Jun 10, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Our study rationale is based on: 1. Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) is given to healthy people and needs to be safe; 2. Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) with shorter regimens are superior with respect to acceptance, completion, and costs; 3. 4 months of Rifampin 10mg/kg (4R10) is the safest regimen, but is completed by \<80% of patients; 4. The safety of 2 months of Rifampin 20mg/kg (2R20) is similar to that of 4 months of Rifampin 10mg/kg (4R10), but completion is a concern; 5. 1-month regimens have promising efficacy; 6. Safety and tolerability must be carefully assessed with comparisons to 4 months of Rifampin 10mg/kg (4R10), and head-to-head with each other. OBJECTIVES: The investigator will use a Bayesian adaptive Phase 2 randomized open-label trial design to test at least three experimental Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) regimens to identify at least one regimen of ≤2 months duration that has non-inferior safety, completion, and tolerability in adults and children relative to the reference Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) regimen. The shortest, safest, and best tolerated regimen identified in this Phase 2 trial will be tested for effectiveness and efficacy in a Phase 3 trial. Specific Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) regimens (All are daily and self-administered) Reference: Rifampin at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day for 4 months (4R10); Experimental: 1) Rifampin at 20 mg/kg/day for 2 months (2R20); (2) one month Levofloxacin and Rifapentine (1LP). At a later stage a 3rd experimental regimen will be selected and added: one another novel 1-2-month regimen identified from pre-clinical and clinical studies. When selected, this will be explained fully including preliminary data on safety and efficacy in an amended protocol and consent - which will be submitted for ethics and regulatory approval at that time).
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria3
- Adults, and children aged ≥5 years with weight of > 15Kg.
- Positive test for TB infection: either Tuberculin test (>5mm, or >10mm, based on epidemiologic and clinical factors and interpreted following local guidelines) or interferon gamma release assay based on Manufacturer's criteria; and,
- Recommended for Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT), following Canadian guidelines (for Canadian sites), and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines (for international sites).
Exclusion Criteria10
- Current tuberculosis (TB) disease - detected pre-enrolment with symptom screen, chest x-ray, and confirmatory microbiological (culture or genotypic) testing as needed; Prior to referral to research staff (research clinic) for consideration as potential participants, all persons must undergo symptoms screen and a chest Xray. If chest Xray is not available, then a negative results from a GeneXpert MTb RIF Ultra of spontaneous (expectorated) sputum will be considered sufficient to exclude TB disease pre-referral. If Chest Xray is abnormal or symptoms consistent with TB disease are present then at least two AFB smears and mycobacterial cultures must be done, and must be negative, or one GeneXpert MTb Rif Ultra must be negative before enrolment
- Children aged 0-4 years;
- Persons weighing <15 kg.
- Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding;
- Women of child-bearing potential and not willing to take an effective form of contraception (non-hormonal) during the treatment phase;
- Documented prior treatment for tuberculosis (TB) infection or disease;
- Pre-enrolment - alanine transaminase (ALT), White Blood Cells, platelets or hemoglobin that correspond to a Grade 3 adverse event (AE);
- Rifampin or rifapentine contra-indicated - due to allergy/hypersensitivity to any rifamycin (rifampin, rifabutin or rifapentine), or, drug interactions too difficult to manage;
- Have a prolonged QT interval on routine ECG pre-enrolment or take any medications that may prolong the QT interval and that are not recommended to take with a fluroquinolone. (See APPENDIX 5 in supplement for list of medications contra-indicated to take with Levofloxacin);
- Household contacts (HHC) of index TB patients with phenotypic or genotypic resistance to Rifampin or Levofloxacin. HHC may be enrolled, then excluded post-randomization, if resistance is identified later. Note that all sites routinely test Rifampin resistance in all people newly diagnosed to have TB disease, but do not test routinely for susceptibility to Levofloxacin unless Rifampin resistance is detected. Hence HHCs may be enrolled if their Index TB patient is Rifampin susceptible, even if Drug Susceptibility Testing to Levofloxacin is not done and/or not available.
Interested in this trial?
Get notified about updates and connect with the research team.
Interventions
120 doses daily self-administered rifampin at 10mg/kg/day (max 600mg/day)
60 doses daily self-administered rifampin at 20 mg/kg (max. 1200 mg/day)
30 doses daily self-administered levofloxacin (15 mg/kg, max 750mg/day and rifapentine (10mg/kg, max: 600mg)
Locations(13)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
For the most up-to-date information, visit the official listing.
NCT06498414