The addition of bedaquiline to a preferred background regimen for 24 weeks resulted in faster culture conversion and significantly more culture conversions at 120 weeks, as compared with placebo. There were more deaths in the bedaquiline group than in the placebo group. (Funded by Janssen Pharmaceuticals; TMC207-C208 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00449644.).

The clinical activity of TMC207 validates ATP synthase as a viable target for the treatment of tuberculosis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00449644.)

Bedaquiline, a diarylquinoline, improved cure rates when added to a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment regimen in a previous placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial (TMC207-C208; NCT00449644). The current phase 2, multicenter, open-label, single-arm trial (TMC207-C209; NCT00910871) reported here was conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy of bedaquiline.Newly diagnosed or previously treated patients with MDR-TB (including pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR)-TB or extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB) received bedaquiline for 24 weeks with a background regimen of anti-TB drugs continued according to National TB Programme treatment guidelines. Patients were assessed during and up to 120 weeks after starting bedaquiline.Of 233 enrolled patients, 63.5% had MDR-TB, 18.9% had pre-XDR-TB and 16.3% had XDR-TB, with 87.1% having taken second-line drugs prior to enrolment. 16 patients (6.9%) died. 20 patients (8.6%) discontinued before week 24, most commonly due to adverse events or MDR-TB-related events. Adverse events were generally those commonly associated with MDR-TB treatment. In the efficacy population (n=205), culture conversion (missing outcome classified as failure) was 72.2% at 120 weeks, and 73.1%, 70.5% and 62.2% in MDR-TB, pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB patients, respectively.Addition of bedaquiline to a background regimen was well tolerated and led to good outcomes in this clinically relevant patient cohort with MDR-TB. @ERSpublications Bedaquiline safety data in a broad patient population treated for drug-resistant TB including XDR-TB (C209 study)

Bedaquiline has recently been approved for the treatment of pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) as part of combination therapy in adults. It is metabolized primarily by the cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 3A4 (CYP3A4) to a less-active N-monodesmethyl metabolite. Phase I and Phase II studies in healthy subjects and patients with drug-susceptible or multidrug-resistant TB have assessed the pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interaction profile of bedaquiline. Potential interactions have been assessed between bedaquiline and first- and second-line anti-TB drugs (rifampicin, rifapentine, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, kanamycin, ofloxacin and cycloserine), commonly used antiretroviral agents (lopinavir/ritonavir, nevirapine and efavirenz) and a potent CYP3A inhibitor (ketoconazole). This review summarizes the pharmacokinetic profile of bedaquiline as well as the results of the drug-drug interaction studies.

The pharmacokinetics of protease inhibitors center around the microsomal enzyme cytochrome P-450 3A4. As a potent inhibitor of this enzyme, ritonavir can increase the bioavailability and half-life of coadministered protease inhibitors. Evidence suggests that increased exposure to protease inhibitors is clinically relevant. Antiretroviral treatment with low-dose ritonavir-boosted lopinavir, indinavir, and saquinavir has durable virological activity and shows impressive immune reconstitution. Although tolerable in most cases, gastrointestinal side effects, hepatotoxicity, and blood lipid abnormalities remain relevant issues. Additional study will elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of twice-daily, low-dose ritonavir-boosted regimens and determine whether once-daily regimens based on this principle will have a lasting role in clinical practice.