Better medication support for people with drug-resistant TB and HIV in South Africa
Official title: Adaptive evaluation of mHealth and conventional adherence support interventions to optimize outcomes with new treatment regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV in South Africa
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11472087 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries phone-based and in-person support to help people in South Africa with drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV take their new TB and HIV medicines as prescribed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | March 10, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $14,040 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI167795-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11472087 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People in South Africa diagnosed with drug-resistant TB who are living with HIV and starting or switching to bedaquiline and dolutegravir-based ART (TLD) are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without drug-resistant TB, those not living with HIV, those not receiving bedaquiline or TLD, or those unable to use a mobile phone are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be offered mobile phone reminders and counseling, standard clinic adherence support, or a combination, and the team will change which approaches are used based on what helps most. The work focuses on patients starting bedaquiline for drug-resistant TB and a dolutegravir-based HIV regimen (TLD). Researchers will collect information on pill-taking, clinic visits, side effects, and treatment outcomes over time. The goal is to find practical, patient-centered ways to help medicines work and prevent drug resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants could have better adherence, fewer treatment failures, and lower risk of developing drug resistance.
How similar studies have gone: Phone-based reminders and psychosocial support have improved adherence in separate TB and HIV studies, but using and adapting these methods specifically for drug-resistant TB combined with HIV is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'donnell, Max — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: O'donnell, Max
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.