PET-CT outcomes from a randomised controlled trial of rosuvastatin as an adjunct to standard tuberculosis treatment.

Adjunctive rosuvastatin for rifampicin-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis (rs-PTB) shows no effect on microbiological or radiological outcomes in a phase IIb randomised, controlled trial (NCT04504851). We explore the impact of adjunctive rosuvastatin on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging in a sub-study of 24 participants. Changes in standardised uptake value (SUVmax, SUVmean), Total Metabolic Volume, (TMV), Total Lesion Glycolysis (TLG), cavity diameter and volume, between week 0 and week 8 post-randomisation, are evaluated.

Target regimen profiles for tuberculosis treatment.

Simpler, shorter, safer and more effective treatments for tuberculosis that are easily accessible to all people with tuberculosis are desperately needed. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed target regimen profiles for the treatment of tuberculosis to make drug developers aware of both the important features of treatment regimens, and patient and programmatic needs at the country level. In view of recent ground-breaking advances in tuberculosis treatment, WHO has revised and updated these regimen profiles.

Efficacy of a yeast postbiotic on cold/flu symptoms in healthy children: A randomized-controlled trial.

Background: Children attending school/daycare are at high risk of acute respiratory tract infections. EpiCor postbiotic, derived from yeast fermentate, has been demonstrated to improve immune function in adults, reducing the incidence of cold/flu-like or allergy symptoms. As such, studies are warranted in children as available pharmaceutical options have unwanted side effects.

Switch to long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine in virologically suppressed adults with HIV in Africa (CARES): week 48 results from a randomised, multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine is licensed for individualised treatment of HIV-1 infection in resource-rich settings. Additional evidence is required to support use in African treatment programmes where demographic factors, viral subtypes, previous treatment, and delivery and monitoring approaches differ. The aim of this study was to determine whether switching to long-acting therapy with injections every 8 weeks is non-inferior to daily oral therapy in Africa.

Adjunctive Pascolizumab in Rifampicin-Susceptible Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Proof-of-Concept, Partially-Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Trial.

Background: Interleukin 4 (IL-4), increased in tuberculosis infection, may impair bacterial killing. Blocking IL-4 confers benefit in animal models. We evaluated safety and efficacy of pascolizumab (humanized anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibody) as adjunctive tuberculosis treatment.