Rifabutin Is Active against Mycobacterium abscessus in Mice

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Authors: Thomas Dick ; Sung Jae Shin ; Won-Jung Koh ; Véronique Dartois ; Martin Gengenbacher

Citation: ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY, Vol.64(2) : e01943-19, 2020-01

MeSH: Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry ; Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology* ; Clarithromycin / pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Repositioning ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases / drug therapy* ; Lung Diseases / microbiology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / drug therapy* ; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / microbiology ; Mycobacterium abscessus / drug effects* ; Rifabutin / chemistry ; Rifabutin / pharmacology*

Keywords: nontuberculous mycobacteria ; NTM ; rifamycin ; mouse model ; animal model

Abstract: There is no reliable cure for Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease. Rifampin is not used clinically due to poor in vitro potency. In contrast, we have shown that rifabutin, another approved rifamycin used to treat tuberculosis, is potent in vitro against M. abscessus. Here, we report that rifabutin is as active as clarithromycin against M. abscessus K21 in NOD.CB17-Prkdc(scid)/NCrCrl mice. This suggests that rifabutin should be considered a repurposing candidate for patients with M. abscessus disease.