Can a more powerful antibiotic clear TB faster? a trial puts rifapentine to the test.

NCT ID NCT00694629

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 23, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial compares the antibiotic rifapentine against the standard drug rifampin during the first 8 weeks of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. About 334 adults with TB bacteria in their sputum are randomly assigned to receive either the standard regimen or one with rifapentine at different doses. The key question is whether rifapentine can turn sputum cultures negative more quickly, which could lead to shorter, more effective treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: the drug rifapentine, an antibiotic related to rifampin
What this could lead to: If rifapentine works better than the standard drug, it could shorten the intensive phase of TB treatment and reduce the risk of drug resistance.
What could go wrong: This is an early Phase 2 trial, so the higher doses may cause more side effects or not improve bacterial clearance. Results may not apply to all TB patients.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

pulmonary tuberculosis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Agencia de Salut Publica

Barcelona, 08023, Spain
Audi L. Murphy VA Hospital

San Antonio, Texas, 78284, United States
Boston Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02118, United States
Central Arkansas Veterans Health System

Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States
Chicago VA Medical Center (Lakeside)

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
Columbia University/Presbyterian Medical Center

New York, New York, 10032, United States
Denver Department of Public Health and Hospitals

Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States
Duke University Medical Center

Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
Emory University School of Medicine

Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
Harlem Hospital, Columbia University

New York, New York, 10037, United States
Hines VA Medical Center

Hines, Illinois, 60141, United States
Hopital Universitario Clementino Fraga Filho

Rio de Janeiro, 2194.590, Brazil
Houston Veterans Administration Medical Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland, 21231, United States
LA County/USC Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States
Makerere University Medical School

Kampala, Uganda
Montreal Chest Institute McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, H2X 2P4Pq Canada, Canada
Nashville VA Medical Center

Nashville, Tennessee, 37212-2637, United States
Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
New Jersey Medical School

Newark, New Jersey, 07107-3001, United States
Northwestern University

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
Seattle King County Health Department

Seattle, Washington, 98104, United States
University of California at San Diego

San Diego, California, 92103, United States
University of California, San Francincisco

San Francisco, California, 94110, United States
University of Manitoba

Winnepeg, Manitoba, R3A 1R8, Canada
University of North Texas Health Science Center

Fort Worth, Texas, 76104, United States
University of Southern California Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States
Veterans Administration Tennessee Valley Health Care System

Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States
Washington DC Veterans Administration Medical Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20422, United States

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