Nontuberculous Mycobacteria clinical trials at UCSF

NTM therapy consists of a multi-drug macrolide based regimen for 18-24 months. Treated patients frequently experience debilitating side effects, and many patients delay the start of antibiotic treatment due to these risks. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue, and rare but serious toxicities include ocular toxicity, hearing loss, and hematologic toxicity. To date, most of the evidence underlying the current treatment recommendations has come from observational studies in which either a macrolide has been combined with rifampin and ethambutol, or in some cases combined with ethambutol alone. The proposed study will answer whether a third drug is necessary or whether taking two drugs can increase tolerability without a substantial loss of efficacy.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ALIS (amikacin liposome inhalation suspension) + background regimen (azithromycin [AZI] + ethambutol [ETH]) compared to the ELC (empty liposome control) + background regimen on participant-reported respiratory symptoms at Month 13.