Better medication support for people with drug-resistant TB and HIV in South Africa

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

NIH-funded research Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11472087

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 typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionColumbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11472087 on NIH RePORTER

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.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: 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.

Not a fit: 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.

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 performed: 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

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.