New rifabutin-based drugs to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis
C25-modified rifabutin analogs as a novel medicinal chemistry strategy to overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis
Developing new rifabutin-style antibiotics to help people with tuberculosis that no longer responds to standard treatments, including those living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231250 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers redesigned the antibiotic rifabutin and made about 150 new versions in the lab. Some of these new compounds work much better against tuberculosis bacteria that are resistant to current drugs. The team also focused on changes that may reduce interactions with HIV medicines, which is important for people living with HIV. These findings are at the preclinical stage and would need safety and human testing before becoming a treatment option.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with rifampicin-resistant or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, especially those who are also living with HIV, would be the primary candidates for future testing of these drugs.
Not a fit: People whose TB responds well to standard first-line treatments or those with non-tuberculosis respiratory infections are unlikely to benefit from these new rifabutin analogs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new TB medicines that treat drug-resistant infections and are safer to use with HIV therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Rifabutin and other rifamycins are established TB drugs, but the specific C25-modified rifabutin analogs showing 10–200× greater activity against resistant strains are a novel and as-yet-untested approach in patients.
Where this research is happening
Hackensack, United States
- Hackensack University Medical Center — Hackensack, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ganapathy, Uday — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Ganapathy, Uday
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.