Six-week daily rifapentine to prevent TB in people with HIV, young children, and pregnant women

Short-course rifapentine for TB prevention for all: clinical pharmacology matters

NIH-funded research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11163508

This project checks whether six weeks of daily rifapentine safely prevents TB and reaches the right drug levels in people with HIV on dolutegravir, young children, and pregnant women.

Quick facts

Grant typeR37 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Nashville, United States)
Project IDNIH-11163508 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, you would take six weeks of daily rifapentine and give a few small blood samples so researchers can measure drug levels. The study will include people with HIV who are taking dolutegravir, children under 12, and pregnant women—groups that were excluded from the main ASTERoiD trial. Researchers will use sparse sampling and population pharmacokinetic methods to confirm that model-based doses achieve target drug exposures and to explore reasons for differences in drug levels between people. Safety and tolerability will be tracked so the shorter preventive regimen is safe for these priority groups.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with HIV taking dolutegravir, children under age 12 at risk for TB infection, and pregnant women eligible for TB preventive therapy.

Not a fit: People with active tuberculosis, those not at risk of TB exposure, or individuals taking medications incompatible with rifapentine may not receive benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could expand a shorter, safe TB-prevention option to people with HIV, young children, and pregnant women by confirming appropriate dosing.

How similar studies have performed: Short rifamycin-based prevention regimens (for example 3HP and 4R) have worked well in many adults, but confirming six-week daily rifapentine dosing in people on dolutegravir, young children, and pregnant women is a new and necessary step.

Where this research is happening

Nashville, 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 VirusCenters for Disease Control
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 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.