This randomized controlled trial looked at how adults and adolescents aged 10 years and older processed high-dose rifampicin. The study included 1368 participants from Indonesia, Canada, and Vietnam. Researchers compared a high-dose regimen taken for two months against a standard-dose regimen taken for four months. They focused on measuring drug levels in the body to understand how different populations handle the medication.
The main results showed that bioavailability was lower in Canada and Vietnam compared with Indonesia. Specifically, bioavailability was 21.8% lower in Canada and 12.3% lower in Vietnam. Additionally, the 24-hour area under the concentration-time curve increased more than proportionally with the dose. Drug levels were generally higher in Indonesia, followed by Vietnam and Canada.
No adverse events or discontinuations were reported during the two-month follow-up period. However, the study noted unmeasured confounders as a limitation. Readers should understand that these findings describe population differences in drug processing rather than proving a cause-and-effect relationship for treatment outcomes.