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NCT Number: NCT06253715

Shortened Regimen for Drug-susceptible TB in Children

While drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) disease in children currently requires four to six months of treatment, most children may be able to be cured with a shorter treatment of more powerful drugs. Shorter treatment may be easier for children to tolerate and finish as well as ease caregiver strain from managing treatment side effects and supporting children over many months. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if a 2-month regimen (including isoniazid (H), rifapentine (P), pyrazinamide (Z) and moxifloxacin (M)) is as safe and effective as a 4- to 6-month regimen (isoniazid, rifampicin (R), pyrazinamide, ethambutol (E)) in curing drug-susceptible TB disease in children under 10 years old. The study is also evaluating the safety of the HPZM in children with and without HIV.

Recruiting

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Key information

Age range

0 day–9 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India

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About this study

In previously untreated individuals with presumed drug-susceptible pulmonary and or peripheral lymph node TB treated with eight weeks of rifapentine, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and moxifloxacin (2HPZM), all given daily throughout, the proportion of participants who experience absence of cure (unsuccessful outcome) will not be inferior to that observed in participants who are treated with the standard regimen (eight weeks of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, with or without ethambutol followed by 8 to 16 weeks of rifampin plus isoniazid depending on disease severity) all given daily throughout.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Parent or guardian is willing and able to provide written informed consent for potential participant's study participation; in addition, when applicable per Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board (EC/IRB) policies and procedures, potential participant is willing and able to provide assent for study participation.
  • At Entry, age of less than 10 years.
  • At Entry, weight 3 kilograms (kg) or greater.
  • At Entry, diagnosed with TB disease, defined as:
  • Pulmonary (including pleural effusion) and/or lymph node (extra-thoracic and/or intra-thoracic) TB with or without bacteriologic confirmation;
  • Clinician has decided to treat with standard first-line drug-susceptible TB regimen.
  • Known HIV status or HIV testing in progress based on meeting testing requirements.
  • Has normal, Grade 1 or 2 test results for all of the following done at or within 14 days of Entry (including the most recent):
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) less than or equal to 5 times the upper limit of normal;
  • Total bilirubin less than or equal to 2.5 times the upper limit of normal;
  • Potassium level of 3.0 milliequivalent/L or greater;
  • Hemoglobin level of 7.0 g/dL or greater;
  • Platelet count of 100,000/mm3 or greater;
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; bedside Schwartz formula) 60 mL/min/1.73m2 or higher.
  • For children living with HIV:
  • On antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Entry: Must be on, or able to be switched to a dolutegravir-based regimen at or prior to Entry;
  • Not on ART at Entry: Planned initiation of dolutegravir before or at study Week 4.
  • For participants who have reached menarche or who are engaging in sexual activity (self-reported): negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 7 days of Entry.
  • For participants who are engaging in sexual activity that could lead to pregnancy (self-reported): agrees to practice at least one non-hormonal method of contraception or abstain from heterosexual intercourse during study drug treatment and for 30 days after stopping study medications. Non-hormonal methods include:
  • Male or female condoms
  • Diaphragm or cervical cap (with spermicide, if available)
  • Non-hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS)
  • At Entry, intends to remain in the catchment area of the study site for the duration of study follow-up or willingness to be followed up beyond the catchment area if/when applicable, as determined by the site investigator based on participant/parent/guardian report.

Exclusion criteria

  • Presumed or documented extra-pulmonary TB involving the central nervous system and/or bones and/or joints, and/or miliary TB, and/or pericardial TB and/or TB of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and/or renal TB.
  • Premature infant (born less than 37-weeks gestation) who is less than 3 months of age at Entry.
  • Any known contraindication to taking any study drug:
  • Known allergy or intolerance to any of the study drugs or drugs in the same class as the study drugs;
  • Any prohibited medications within three days prior to Entry or planned use within the following 6 months;
  • Unable to take oral medications;
  • Known history of prolonged QT syndrome not caused by electrolyte derangements.
  • Received more than 10 days of treatment directed against TB disease within 6 months preceding initiation of study drugs.
  • M. tuberculosis isolate known or suspected to be resistant to isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and/or fluoroquinolones.
  • Known exposure to an infectious adult with drug-resistant TB, including resistance to isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and/or fluoroquinolones.
  • Has any other documented or suspected clinically significant medical condition or any other condition that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would make participation in the study unsafe, complicate interpretation of study outcome data, or otherwise interfere with achieving the study objectives.
  • Previously enrolled in this study.

Late Exclusions:

  • M. tuberculosis cultured or detected through World Health Organization (WHO) approved molecular assays (e.g., Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF, Xpert XDR, sequencing or Hain MTB-DR plus assays) from sputum, swallowed sputum, nasopharyngeal aspirates, stool, or lymph node aspirate obtained around the time of study entry is determined to be resistant to isoniazid and/or rifampin and/or pyrazinamide and/or ethambutol and/or fluoroquinolones.
  • Any child with a clinical TB diagnosis who is found to have a definitive alternative diagnosis for their presenting signs and symptoms whose TB treatment is discontinued prior to completion.

Treatment and study plan

Isoniazid

Drug

Once daily weight-based dose

Other names: H

Rifampin

Drug

Once daily weight-based dose

Other names: R

Pyrazinamide

Drug

Once daily weight-based dose

Other names: Z

Ethambutol

Drug

Once daily weight-based dose

Other names: E

rifapentine

Drug

Once daily weight-based dose

Other names: P, Priftin

moxifloxacin

Drug

Once daily weight-based dose

Other names: M, Avelox

Primary outcomes

  1. TB disease-free survival at 48-weeks

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through week 48

    Non-inferiority will be assessed by comparing the upper bound of a 95%, 2-sided confidence interval for the difference between the proportion of participants who are classified as having an unsuccessful outcome on the control regimen (HRZ(E)) and the intervention regimen (HPZM) to the predefined non-inferiority margin of 6% at 48 weeks.

  2. Proportion of participants with grade 3 or higher adverse events over 28 weeks

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 28

    The proportion of participants with a Grade 3 or higher adverse event and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals will be generated. An exact test for equality of proportions will be used to compare safety outcomes between the arms.

Secondary outcomes

  1. TB disease-free survival at 48-weeks

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 48

    Non-inferiority will be assessed by comparing the upper bound of a 95%, 2-sided confidence interval for the difference between the proportion of participants who are classified as having an unsuccessful outcome on the control regimen (HRZ(E)) and the intervention regimen (HPZM) to the predefined non-inferiority margin of 6% at 48 weeks.

  2. TB disease-free survival at 72-weeks

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 72

    Non-inferiority will be assessed by comparing the upper bound of a 95%, 2-sided confidence interval for the difference between the proportion of participants who are classified as having an unsuccessful outcome on the control regimen (HRZ(E)) and the intervention regimen (HPZM) to the predefined non-inferiority margin of 6% at 72 weeks.

  3. Adherence to treatment regimens

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 48

    The per-protocol analysis will account for variations in adherence to the treatment regimens. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using propensity scores will be applied and the net difference in treatment failure rates between the two treatment regimens and the 95% confidence interval around this will be calculated to determine non-inferiority.

  4. Tolerability as assessed by proportion of participants who discontinue treatment

    Time frame: Week 8 (intervention/HPZM) or Week 16 or Week 24 (control/HRZ(E))

    Tolerability will be assessed as discontinuation of the assigned treatment for a reason other than microbiological ineligibility (AEs assessed as related to the study regimen that led to permanent discontinuation of the regimen, participant refusal, parent/guardian prematurely discontinues, etc.) among the modified intention-to-treat population. Proportion of participants who discontinue the assigned study regimen and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals will be generated. The control regimen (HRZ(E)) will be compared against the intervention regimen (HPZM) using an exact test for equality of proportions.

  5. Rifapentine Area under the curve (AUC0-24)

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 8

    Area under the curve from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or Week 8. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  6. Rifapentine minimal concentration (Cmin)

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 8

    Minimal concentration from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or Week 8. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  7. Rifapentine peak concentration (Cmax)

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 8

    Peak concentration from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or Week 8. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  8. Moxifloxacin AUC0-24

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 8

    Area under the curve from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or Week 8. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  9. Moxifloxacin Cmin

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 8

    Minimal concentration from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or Week 8. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  10. Moxifloxacin Cmax

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 8

    Peak concentration from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or Week 8. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  11. Parent/guardian and/or participant reported palatability and acceptability of study regimen

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8 (Regimens 1 and 2) and at Weeks 16 and 24 (Regimen 1 only)

    Based on questionnaire developed by study team, data will be aggregated to measure acceptability at Entry, Week 4, and Week 8 (all participants), and Weeks 16 and 24 (for those who continue on HRZ(E) only). Scoring based on a likert or likert-like scale for each question. Each question is scored 1 to 5 with higher scores reflecting increased acceptability.

  12. Adherence as assessed by proportion of participants who have taken at least 90% of their doses

    Time frame: Baseline through Week 8 for HPZM, Week 16 for HRZ(E) with non-severe disease, or Week 24 for HRZ(E) with severe disease

    Adherence measures will be documented by a treatment supporter on a TB treatment card (as per local practice), by pill count and by an adherence questionnaire and descriptively summarized for all participants. Participants are considered adherent who have taken at least 90% of their doses within the 8 week, 16 week or 24-week time frame of their regimen.

  13. Risk Stratification Algorithm

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 48

    If the study outcome is not non-inferior, pragmatic, programmatically available data will be considered for inclusion in a risk stratification algorithm that would aim to identify children at high risk of unsuccessful TB treatment outcome who may benefit from a longer duration of therapy. The efficacy endpoint will be analyzed using mixed-effects logistic regression models to identify predictors. The models will be adjusted for World Bank country income categories and by site using random intercepts. Univariable and multivariable analysis will be performed. The association between baseline clinical predictors and unsuccessful treatment outcomes will be analyzed, Treatment characteristics will then be added to the models to determine if treatment helped in the description of the primary efficacy endpoint.

  14. Cost effectiveness as assessed by the incremental cost-effective ratio (ICER)

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 24

    ICER: Total costs of HPZM minus the total costs 16 or 24 week HRZE, divided by the total number of disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted for HPZM minus the total DALYs averted for 16- or 24-week HRZE.

Other outcomes

  1. Dolutegravir AUC0-24

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 28

    Area under the curve from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or 8 and at between Weeks 12-28. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 hour, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  2. Dolutegravir Cmin

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 28

    Minimal concentration from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or 8 and at between Weeks 12-28. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 hour, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  3. Dolutegravir Cmax

    Time frame: Measured from study entry through Week 28

    Peak concentration from start of dose to 24 hours post-dose. Measured at Week 4 or 8 and at between Weeks 12-28. Blood samples drawn at 0, 1 hour, 4 hours and 6 hours post dose.

  4. Proportion of children living with HIV

    Time frame: Week 24 and Week 48

    Among participants living with HIV, the proportions of participants in each study arm who achieve or maintain virologic control (< 200 copies/mL) at Weeks 24 and 48 will be presented in aggregate, as well as broken down by weight bands (if the sample sizes are sufficient) bounded by 95% confidence intervals.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Kisten Nolan, MPH, BSN

CONTACT

[email protected]

+14435403993

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Collaborators

  • United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Registry information

Acronym: SMILE-TB

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Feb 12, 2024
Registry last updated
Jul 24, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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