Easy dissolvable oral strips for preventing latent tuberculosis
Official title: Oral Dissolvable Strips (ODS) as new pediatric and adult delivery mode of therapy for latent tuberculosis
Funded at Oak Therapeutics, INC. · NIH-11253372 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is developing thin oral strips that dissolve in the mouth to deliver TB prevention medicine for children and adults with latent tuberculosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oak Therapeutics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $892,787 |
| NIH project number | 2R44AI179391-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11253372 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with latent tuberculosis infection, including children who have trouble swallowing pills and adults seeking easier preventive therapy, would be the ideal candidates for this approach.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with active TB disease, people allergic to rifapentine or isoniazid, or those already well served by current tablet regimens may not benefit from these strips.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team is making small, dissolvable oral strips containing the main TB preventive drugs so people won't need to swallow large tablets. The strips aim to improve taste, allow weight-based dosing for children, and be easier for caregivers to give infants. Developers will optimize formulations for stability and accurate dosing and perform laboratory and bioequivalence testing compared to current tablet forms. If needed, the program could include early human dosing or bridging studies to confirm the strips deliver the right drug levels.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these strips could make TB prevention treatment simpler, safer, and more likely to be completed, reducing future active TB cases.
How similar studies have gone: Orally dissolving strips and films have worked well for other pediatric medicines, but applying this approach to TB drugs is relatively new and still being proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Oak Therapeutics, INC.
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maliski, Edward G — Oak Therapeutics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Maliski, Edward G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
A program of guided exercise and breathing training to help adults who have recovered from TB breathe better and feel healthier.
-
Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
A program of pulmonary rehabilitation is being studied to help adults who have completed TB treatment avoid ongoing lung problems and improve daily breathing.
-
Air pollution and tuberculosis spread in Kampala, Uganda
This project looks at whether dirty air from PM2.5 particles makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within urban slum households in Kampala, Uganda.
-
Air pollution and TB spread in Ugandan urban slums
This project explores whether exposure to air pollution makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within households in a crowded Ugandan slum.
-
Air pollution and TB transmission in Kampala’s urban slums
This project looks at whether air pollution from PM2.5 makes tuberculosis spread more easily from infected people to their neighbors in urban slums of Kampala, Uganda.
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.