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Efficacy and safety of 8-week regimens for the treatment of rifampicin-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis (TRUNCATE-TB): a prespecified exploratory analysis of a multi-arm, multi-stage, open-label, randomised controlled trial

Paton NI, Cousins C, Sari IP, Burhan E, Ng NK, Dalay VB, Suresh C, Kusmiati T et al.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 2025

181 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: WHO recommends a 2-month optimal duration for new drug regimens for rifampicin-susceptible tuberculosis. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of the 8-week regimens that were assessed as part of the TRUNCATE management strategy of the TRUNCATE-TB trial.

METHODS: TRUNCATE-TB was a multi-arm, multi-stage, open-label, randomised controlled trial in which participants aged 18-65 years with rifampicin-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis were randomly assigned via a web-based system, using permuted blocks, to 24-week standard treatment (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol) or the TRUNCATE management strategy comprising initial 8-week treatment, then post-treatment monitoring and re-treatment where needed. The four 8-week regimens comprised five drugs, modified from standard treatment: high-dose rifampicin and linezolid, or high-dose rifampicin and clofazimine, or bedaquiline and linezolid, all given with isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol; and rifapentine, linezolid, and levofloxacin, given with isoniazid and pyrazinamide. Here, we report the efficacy (proportion with unfavourable outcome; and difference from standard treatment, assessed via Bayesian methods) and safety of the 8-week regimens, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This prespecified exploratory analysis is distinct from the previously reported 96-week outcome of the strategy in which the regimens were deployed. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 181 participants or records.

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