Finding the Optimal Regimen for Mycobacterium Abscessus Treatment

Last updated: August 6, 2025
Sponsor: The University of Queensland
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2/3

Condition

N/A

Treatment

Cefoxitin

Clarithromycin

Clofazimine

Clinical Study ID

NCT04310930
U1111-1209-0672
  • All Genders

Study Summary

Mycobacterium abscessus (MABS) is a group of rapid-growing, multi-drug resistant non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) causing infections in humans. MABS pulmonary disease (MABS-PD) can result in significant morbidity, increased healthcare utilisation, accelerated lung function decline, impaired quality of life, more challenging lung transplantation, and increased mortality. While the overall numbers affected is small, the prevalence of infections is increasing worldwide. The Finding the Optimal Regimen for Mycobacterium abscessus Treatment (FORMaT) trial aims to produce high quality evidence for the best treatment regimens to maximise health outcomes and minimise toxicity and treatment burden, as well as developing biomarkers (serology, gene expression signatures, and radiology) to guide decisions for starting treatment and measuring disease severity in patients with MABS PD.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Eligibility criteria for the FORMaT trial can be applied at two levels:

  1. Eligibility into the Intervention Program, or;

  2. Eligibility into the Observational Cohort.

Potential participants can only be enrolled in either the Intervention Program or the Observational Cohort at any one time. Provided the eligibility criteria are met, potential participants may either:

  1. Enrol directly into the Intervention Program, or;

  2. Enrol into the Observational Cohort and transition into the Intervention Program once they satisfy the inclusion criteria for this program which can occur at any time during the trial.

Eligibility into the FORMaT trial will be assessed at screening. Observational Cohort participants who go on to meet the Intervention Program eligibility criteria can transition from the Observational Cohort to the Intervention Program.

INTERVENTION PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY (APPENDIX A) Potential participants are eligible for the Intervention Program (Appendix A) if the criteria below are met. Eligible participants with mixed NTM infections (slow growers + MABS) or with recurrence of MABS infection following completion of previous treatment will be eligible if they meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria listed below. For eligible participants with mixed NTM infections additional therapy combinations are available as detailed in the relevant appendices.

INTERVENTION PROGRAM INCLUSION CRITERIA

  1. Positive MABS-PD diagnosis meeting all three American Thoracic Society clinical, radiological and microbiological diagnostic criteria for MABS-PD. Defined as:

  2. Clinical: Pulmonary symptoms and exclusion of other diagnoses.

  3. Radiological: Nodular or cavitary opacities on chest radiograph or a chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan showing multifocal bronchiectasis with multiple small nodules.

  4. Microbiological: MABS positive culture results from at least two separate expectorated sputum samples.

or Positive culture results from at least one bronchial wash or lavage. or Transbronchial or other lung biopsy with mycobacterial histopathologic features (granulomatous inflammation or acid-fast bacilli (AFB)) and positive culture for NTM or biopsy showing mycobacterial histopathologic features (granulomatous inflammation or AFB) and one or more sputum or bronchial washes that are culture positive for NTM.

Screening samples must be collected within the timeframes stated in the relevant appendix.

  1. Male or female participants of any age.

  2. Participant has not received treatment for MABS-PD in the 12 months preceding assessment of eligibility or as specified in the relevant appendix (this includes drugs prescribed for the treatment of other mycobacteria and/or other indications that may have activity against MABS, as specified in the FORMaT Prohibited Drug List Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)).

  3. Informed consent signed by participant or parent/legal guardian if participant is under 18 years of age.

  4. Ability to comply with study visits, therapies and study procedures as judged by the site investigator.

INTERVENTION PROGRAM EXCLUSION CRITERIA

  • Participants receiving current treatment for MABS (this includes drugs prescribed for the treatment of other mycobacteria and/or other indications that may have activity against MABS, as specified in the FORMaT Prohibited Drug List SOP), except for participants taking azithromycin as part of routine treatment for CF or chronic infection-related pulmonary disease, or as specified in the relevant appendix.

  • Participants who have a QTc interval of >500 milliseconds (QT interval corrected based on Fridericia method).

  • Participants who are pregnant or planning to continue breast feeding.

  • Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to any of the therapies for which no alternative option(s) have been provided.

OBSERVATIONAL COHORT INCLUSION CRITERIA

To be eligible to participate in the Observational Cohort the following criteria must be met:

  1. Male and female participants of any age with at least one positive respiratory culture for MABS.

  2. Informed consent signed by participant or parent/legal guardian if participant is under 18 years of age.

  3. Ability to comply with study visits and study procedures as judged by the site investigator.

OBSERVATIONAL COHORT EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Potential participants will be ineligible to participate in the Observational Cohort if any of the following criterion are met:

• Receiving active treatment for MABS within the previous 12 months (this includes drugs prescribed for the treatment of other mycobacteria and/or other indications that may have activity against MABS, as specified in the FORMaT Prohibited Drug List SOP, except for participants taking azithromycin as part of routine treatment for CF or chronic infection-related pulmonary disease).

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Mixed NTM infections Participants who have cultured slow growing NTM of the same species two or more times in the 24 months prior to screening, with one of those cultures within the 6 months prior to screening, will be considered to have mixed NTM infection at the time of screening. The participants must meet all other inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria to be eligible for participation. Ethambutol may be used in addition to trial therapies to cover mixed NTM infections considered to require treatment by their clinician.

Appendix specific sub-studies and integrated studies Appendix specific sub-studies and integrated studies may have additional eligibility criteria which are described in each of the relevant appendices.

Study Design

Total Participants: 300
Treatment Group(s): 14
Primary Treatment: Cefoxitin
Phase: 2/3
Study Start date:
March 02, 2020
Estimated Completion Date:
June 30, 2030

Study Description

Mycobacterium abscessus (MABS) are a group of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) found in water and soil habitats that exhibit high levels of intrinsic multi-drug resistance. They are recognised opportunistic human pathogens capable of causing chronic pulmonary disease (MABS-PD), predominantly in individuals with underlying inflammatory lung diseases.

Finding the Optimal Regimen for Mycobacterium abscessus Treatment (FORMaT) is an iterative, standing, platform trial with innovative and adaptive properties that evaluate and develop the optimal combinations of therapies for children and adults with MABS-PD to clear MABS infection with acceptable tolerance. We will use these opportunities afforded by the clinical trial platform to establish discovery studies to: (i) understand the effects of disease and treatment on health-related quality of life, (ii) determine cost effectiveness of interventions, (iii) optimise pharmacokinetic drug dosing, (iv) understand susceptibility to MABs-PD, (v) develop biomarkers of clinical disease, (vi) investigate genomics of MABs strains causing MABs-PD and development of antimicrobial resistance.

FORMaT provides a pragmatic design to address challenges to develop an evidence base for the first time for MABS-PD. Initially, the trial has been designed to test therapies that are currently the basis for treatment guidelines for MABS-PD. The trial has the capacity to add new treatments and to eliminate therapies because of futility as they either lack efficacy or cause unacceptable toxicity. Novel therapeutic approaches are then tested against the previously determined optimal approaches, thus leading in an iterative fashion to improve microbiological clearance, and health outcomes associated with MABS-PD. The trial is designed as a series of trials within the main trial to enable investigation of the different phases of treatment; intensive (intravenous treatment phase) and consolidation (oral and or inhaled treatment phase) based on clinical guidelines. The primary outcome for each trial is microbiological clearance with clinical tolerance (Grade 1 or 2) based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5). This enables subjects to continue in the trial even if tolerance is poor or they change treatments in a specific phase of the trial as those events contribute to the primary outcome determination.

Connect with a study center

  • St George Hospital

    Kogarah, New South Wales
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Queensland Children's Hospital

    South Brisbane, Queensland 4101
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Princess Alexandra Hospital

    Woolloongabba, Queensland
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Austin Hospital

    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Royal Melbourne Hospital

    Parkville, Victoria
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Royal Perth Hospital

    Perth, Western Australia 6000
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital

    Adelaide,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sunshine Coast University Hospital

    Birtinya,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Cairns Base Hospital

    Cairns,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

    Camperdown,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • The Prince Charles Hospital

    Chermside,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Monash Children's Hospital

    Clayton,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Monash Medical Centre

    Clayton,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Concord Repatriation Hospital

    Concord,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Gladstone Hospital

    Gladstone,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Gold Coast University Hospital

    Gold Coast,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Greenslopes Private Hospital,

    Greenslopes,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital

    Herston,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Royal Hobart Hospital

    Hobart,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Mackay base Hospital

    Mackay,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Sir Charles Gairdiner Hospital

    Nedlands,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital

    Nedlands,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • John Hunter Hospital

    New Lambton,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • John Hunter Children's Hospital

    New Lambton Heights,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Perth Children's Hospital

    Perth,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • The Alfred

    Prahran,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sydney Children's Hospital

    Randwick,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Rockhampton Hospital

    Rockhampton,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Mater Adult Hospital

    South Brisbane,
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • Macquarie University Hospital

    Sydney,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Townsville Hospital

    Townsville,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • The Children's Hospital at Westmead

    Westmead,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Westmead Hospital

    Westmead,
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • St Michaels Hospital

    Toronto,
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • The Hospital for Sick Kids

    Toronto,
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • Skejby University Hospital

    Aarhus,
    Denmark

    Site Not Available

  • Rigshospitalet

    København,
    Denmark

    Active - Recruiting

  • Hospital Cochin

    Paris,
    France

    Site Not Available

  • St Vincent's University Hospital

    Dublin,
    Ireland

    Site Not Available

  • Soroka Medical Centre

    Beer-Sheeva,
    Israel

    Site Not Available

  • Carmel Medical Centre

    Haifa,
    Israel

    Site Not Available

  • Rambam Health Care Campus

    Haifa,
    Israel

    Site Not Available

  • Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital

    Jerusalem,
    Israel

    Site Not Available

  • Schneider

    Peta Tikva,
    Israel

    Site Not Available

  • Sheba Medical Centre

    Ramat Gan Tel Aviv,
    Israel

    Site Not Available

  • Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital

    Rotterdam,
    Netherlands

    Site Not Available

  • Starship Children's Hosptial

    Auckland,
    New Zealand

    Site Not Available

  • St George's Hospital

    Christchurch,
    New Zealand

    Site Not Available

  • Tan Tock Seng Hospital Pte Ltd

    Singapore, 308433
    Singapore

    Site Not Available

  • Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital

    Kaohsiung,
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • National Taiwan University Hospital

    Taipei,
    Taiwan

    Site Not Available

  • Belfast City Hospital

    Belfast,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Birmingham Children's Hospital

    Birmingham,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

    Birmingham,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

    Bristol,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Noah's Ark Childrens Hospital for Wales

    Cardiff,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh

    Edinburgh,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Western General Hospital

    Edinburgh,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow

    Glasgow,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Alder Hey Children NHS Foundation Trust

    Liverpool,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Royal Brompton Hosptial

    London,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

    Manchester,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Nottingham Children's Hosptial

    Nottingham,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Queens Medical Centre

    Nottingham,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Welcome Wolfson Adult CF Centre (City Hospital Campus)

    Nottingham,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • University Hospital Llandough

    Penarth,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Southampton General Hospital

    Southampton,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • Wythenshawe Hospital

    Wythenshawe,
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

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