SimpliciTB: OptiRiMoxTB trial completes recruitment

The Optimised Dose of Rifampicin and Moxifloxacin for the Treatment of Drug-Susceptible Pulmonary Tuberculosis (OptiRiMoxTB) is a phase III clinical trial that aims to simplify tuberculosis (TB) treatment. The trial has officially completed participant recruitment across multiple sites in Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Funded by EDCTP and part of the SimpliciTB consortium, this study seeks to explore innovative treatment strategies that could transform the management of TB. It primarily focuses on introducing new drug classes, particularly 8-methoxyfluoroquinolones like moxifloxacin, while optimising dosages of existing medications, specifically rifamycins such as the well-established drug rifampicin.

The trial is led by Dr Stellah Mpagama, an EDCTP Senior Fellow, based at the  Kibong’oto Infectious Diseases Hospital in Tanzania, which is the clinical sponsor of the trial and is conducted in collaboration with the University of St. Andrews (UK), University College London (UK), Radboud UMC Nijmegen (The Netherlands), and TB Alliance (US). The successful recruitment of 414 individuals with drug-susceptible TB underscores the commitment and urgency in the fight against this disease, which continues to claim approximately 1.5 million lives each year.

This trial is evaluating an optimised dose of rifampicin and moxifloxacin for TB treatment in real-life settings. The trial also aims to equip the Kibong’oto Infectious Diseases Hospital team in Tanzania with practical skills in clinical trial leadership while enhancing the capacities of clinical sites in Africa, including the Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné (Gabon), Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Malawi), and the Instituto Nacional de Saúde (Mozambique).