Higher-dose rifampin to help adults with tuberculous meningitis by measuring drug levels
High Dose Oral Rifampicin to Improve Survival from Adult Tuberculous Meningitis: a pharmacokinetic substudy (HARVEST-PK)
Adults with tuberculous meningitis receive higher-dose rifampin while researchers measure drug levels in blood and spinal fluid to link dosing with survival and brain injury, including people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stichting Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum I.o. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nijmegen, Netherlands) |
| Project ID | NIH-11394772 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have tuberculous meningitis and join this work, doctors will give standard or higher doses of rifampin and collect blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples to measure drug levels. The team will also measure markers of brain injury and inflammation to see how drug exposure relates to recovery or harm. They will look at subgroups such as people living with HIV and very sick patients to see if dosing should be different for them. The project will check interactions between higher rifampin doses and antiretroviral medicines in people with HIV.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis who are being treated at participating HARVEST trial hospitals and can provide blood and spinal fluid samples, including people living with HIV.
Not a fit: People without tuberculous meningitis, those with drug-resistant TB not covered by the trial regimens, or patients not treated at participating sites are unlikely to benefit directly from enrollment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify rifampin dosing that reaches the brain and lowers death or disability from tuberculous meningitis.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier small pharmacokinetic studies and pilot trials showed higher rifampin increases blood and CSF drug levels and suggested possible outcome benefits, but large definitive survival results are still lacking.
Where this research is happening
Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Stichting Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum I.o. — Nijmegen, Netherlands (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Te Brake, Lindsey — Stichting Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum I.o.
- Study coordinator: Te Brake, Lindsey
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 below.