Shorter all-oral treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
DRAMATIC Phase 2 Duration Randomized MDR-TB Treatment Trial
This trial tries a shorter, all-oral drug combination to cure people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis while reducing side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10853097 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to one of four different treatment lengths of an all-oral regimen that includes bedaquiline, delamanid, levofloxacin, and a limited course of linezolid. The regimen avoids injectable drugs and pyrazinamide and limits linezolid to the first eight weeks to reduce nerve-related side effects. Researchers will compare outcomes across the four durations together to identify the shortest length that still clears infection, with regular safety and effectiveness monitoring. The multicenter, partially blinded Phase 2 trial is led by UCSF and is supported by animal data suggesting the drug combination can work.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis who meet the trial's medical and safety criteria and can attend a participating clinic for treatment and follow-up.
Not a fit: People who are pregnant, have medical contraindications to the study drugs, or cannot commit to study visits may not be eligible or may not benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer people with MDR-TB a shorter, safer treatment that is easier to complete.
How similar studies have performed: Some drugs in the regimen (bedaquiline, delamanid) have shown activity against MDR-TB, but the specific all-oral, fixed-duration approach using duration-randomization is novel and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nahid, Payam — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Nahid, Payam
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.