bedaquiline and Buruli-Ulcer

Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is currently treated with a daily combination of rifampin and either injectable streptomycin or oral clarithromycin. An intermittent oral regimen would facilitate treatment supervision. We first evaluated the bactericidal activity of newer antimicrobials against M. ulcerans using a BU animal model. The imidazopyridine amine telacebec (Q203) exhibited high bactericidal activity whereas tedizolid (an oxazolidinone closely related to linezolid), selamectin and ivermectin (two avermectine compounds) and the benzothiazinone PBTZ169 were not active. Consequently, telacebec was evaluated for its bactericidal and sterilizing activities in combined intermittent regimens. Telacebec given twice a week in combination with a long-half-life compound, either rifapentine or bedaquiline, sterilized mouse footpads in 8 weeks, i.e. after a total of only 16 doses, and prevented relapse during a period of 20 weeks after the end of treatment. These results are very promising for future intermittent oral regimens which would greatly simplify BU treatment in the field.

Topics: Animals; Antitubercular Agents; Buruli Ulcer; Diarylquinolines; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Imidazoles; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Oxazolidinones; Piperidines; Pyridines; Rifampin; Tetrazoles

The treatment of Buruli ulcer (BU) that is caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is currently based on a daily administration of rifampin and streptomycin (RIF-STR). A fully oral intermittent regimen would greatly simplify its treatment on the field.. The objective of this study was to assess the bactericidal and sterilizing activities of intermittent oral regimens in a murine model of established M. ulcerans infection. Regimens combining rifapentine (RFP 20 mg/kg) with either moxifloxacin (MXF 200 mg/kg), clarithromycin (CLR 100 mg/kg) or bedaquiline (BDQ 25 mg/kg) were administrated twice (2/7) or three (only for RFP-CLR 3/7) times weekly during 8 weeks. The bactericidal but also the sterilizing activities of these four intermittent oral regimens were at least as good as those obtained with control weekdays regimens, i.e. RFP-CLR 5/7 or RIF-STR 5/7. A single mouse from the RFP-MFX 2/7 group had culture-positive relapse at the end of the 28 weeks following treatment completion among the 157 mice treated with one of the four intermittent regimens (40 RFP-CLR 2/7, 39 RFP-CLR 3/7, 39 RFP-MXF 2/7, 39 RFP-BDQ 2/7).. These results open the door for a fully intermittent oral drug regimen for BU treatment avoiding intramuscular injections and facilitating supervision by health care workers.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Buruli Ulcer; Clarithromycin; Diarylquinolines; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fluoroquinolones; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Moxifloxacin; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Rifampin