Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40295169›Full record

Trial reportThe Journal of infectious diseases2025

Population Pharmacokinetics of Rifampicin in Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid in Adults With Tuberculosis Meningitis.

Noha Abdelgawad, Sean Wasserman, Kamunkhwala Gausi, Angharad Davis, Cari Stek, Lubbe Wiesner, Graeme Meintjes, Robert J Wilkinson, Paolo Denti

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Host- and pathogen-related determinants of pulmonaryEuropean respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Noha AbdelgawadDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0002-4907-345X
Sean WassermanWellcome Discovery Research Platforms for Infection, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-3508-6719
Kamunkhwala GausiDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0002-9002-8087
Angharad DavisWellcome Discovery Research Platforms for Infection, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-8914-5094
Cari StekWellcome Discovery Research Platforms for Infection, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-8813-0819
Lubbe WiesnerDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0002-9070-8699
Graeme MeintjesWellcome Discovery Research Platforms for Infection, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-1196-4414
Robert J WilkinsonWellcome Discovery Research Platforms for Infection, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-2753-1800
Paolo DentiDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0001-7494-079X

Funding

Leadership and Operations Center (LOC), AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG); LOC 1/UM1AI068636 · NIAID · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Joseph J Eron, RAJESH T GANDHI · 2011 to 2026
$1073.1M
LOC-IMPAACT Leadership GroupPharmacokinetics and Safety of Remdesivir for Treatment of COVID-19 in Pregnant Women in the USUM1AI068632 · NIAID · SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC SYSTEMS, INC. · PI Jennifer Jao, Sharon A Nachman · 2011 to 2026
$278.1M
Statistical and Data Management Center (SDMC), AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG)UM1AI068634 · NIAID · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI Marlene Ann Cooper, Michael David Hughes · 2011 to 2026
$246.6M
AIDS Clinical Trials Group NetworkU01AI068636 · NIAID · SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC SYSTEMS, INC. · PI KURITZKES, DANIEL R. · 2006 to 2010
$147.1M
Validation, CLIA and Qualification (VQC): Enhancing the RS ratio as a tool for AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) tuberculosis trialsUM1AI106701 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI Grace M Aldrovandi · 2014 to 2026
$116.8M
International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) GroupU01AI068632 · NIAID · SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC SYSTEMS, INC. · PI JACKSON, J BROOKS · 2006 to 2010
$109.7M
Statistical and Data Management Center for the AIDS Clinical Trials GroupU01AI068634 · NIAID · HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI HUGHES, MICHAEL DAVID · 2006 to 2010
$71.9M
PRESCIENT: A phase IIc, open-label, randomized controlled trial of ultra-short course bedaquiline, clofazimine, pyrazinamide and delamanid versus standard therapy for drug-susceptible tuberculosisU01AI170426 · NIAID · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI SERENA Patricia KOENIG, Sean Wasserman · 2022 to 2026
$5.9M
Characterizing the pharmacokinetics of high dose rifampicin and linezolid in a randomized controlled trial for HIV-associated tuberculous meningitisK43TW011421 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN · PI WASSERMAN, SEAN ADAM · 2019 to 2022
$404k
Adult Clinical Trial GroupBill & Melinda Gates FoundationCancer Research UK CC2112Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentFIC NIH HHS K43 TW011421Francis Crick InstituteInfant Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials GroupNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNational Research Foundation 64787NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI068632NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI068634NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI068636NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI170426NIAID NIH HHS UM1 AI068632NIAID NIH HHS UM1 AI068634NIAID NIH HHS UM1 AI068636NIAID NIH HHS UM1 AI106701NIH HHS AI068634NIH HHS AI068636NIH HHS AI106701NIH HHS K43TW011421NIH HHS U01 AI068632NIH HHS U01AI170426NIMH NIH HHS AI068632Research Centre of Imperial College NHS TrustSouth African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and TechnologyUCL Wellcome Trust 175479University of Cape Town Clinical PK LaboratoryWellcome Trust 203135/Z/16/ZWellcome Trust 214321/Z/18/ZWellcome Trust CC2112
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSeveral ongoing clinical trials are evaluating high-dose rifampicin (up to 35 mg/kg) for tuberculous meningitis (TBM). However, rifampicin pharmacokinetics at higher doses is not fully characterized, particularly in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the site of TBM disease.

methodsIn a randomized controlled trial, adults with HIV-associated TBM were assigned to experimental arms of high-dose rifampicin (oral, 35 mg/kg; intravenous, 20 mg/kg) plus linezolid, with or without aspirin, or a control arm that received the standard of care with 10 mg/kg of oral rifampicin. Rifampicin concentrations, including the unbound fraction, were measured on plasma samples, and CSF was collected on days 3 and 28 of study enrollment. Data were analyzed by nonlinear mixed effects modeling.

resultsIn total, 400 plasma and 44 CSF rifampicin concentrations from 48 participants were used for model development. The median (range) age and weight were 39 years (25-78) and 60 kg (30-107). Rifampicin pharmacokinetics was best described by a 2-compartment disposition model with first-order transit oral absorption and elimination via saturable hepatic extraction. Typical clearance values for the standard dose for days 3 and 28 were 33.1 and 41.4 L/h, respectively; high-dose values were 46.1 and 70.2 L/h. The CSF-plasma ratio was approximately 6% and the equilibration half-life was 3.2 hours. Simulated standard-dose rifampicin did not reach CSF concentrations above the critical concentration for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

conclusionsCSF penetration with standard-dose rifampicin is low. Our findings support continued evaluation of high-dose rifampicin for TBM treatment.

Indexed as

Antibiotics, AntitubercularAntitubercular AgentsRifampinTuberculosis, MeningealAdministration, OralAdultAgedFemaleHIV InfectionsHumansLinezolidMaleMiddle AgedPlasmaAntibiotics, AntitubercularAntitubercular AgentsLinezolidRifampincerebrospinal fluidhigh-dose rifampicinmodeling and simulationpopulation pharmacokineticstuberculosis meningitis

Identifiers

PMID40295169
PMCPMC12349950

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.