A Phase 3 interventional study of BE-PEP Bedaquiline and SDR-PEP Rifampicin in Leprosy, sponsored by Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium. Recruiting at 1 site in Comoros. Open to participants aged 2 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-19.
Sponsored by Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium · Phase 3, Interventional, and Prevention
There will be two study arms. Arm 1 will be the intervention arm in which there will be provided BE-PEP to all persons residing within 100 meters of an index case, to be repeated after four weeks for household contacts. Arm 2 will be the comparator arm in which the WHO recommended standard PEP will be provided, i.e. 10 mg/kg of rifampicin in a single dose. In both arms the investigators will target anyone living within 100 meters of an index case or the entire village if more than 50% are eligible. Provision of BE-PEP will start in 2023 and follow-up will continue until 2026. The main study outcome will be the comparison of leprosy risk in individuals that received BE-PEOPLE standard WHO SDR-PEP versus individuals that received BE-PEP. In addition the investigators will compare the overall leprosy incidence over the follow-up period between the two study arms.
Assuming the phase 2 study will not reveal any drug related adverse events and following the advice of the DSMB and the involved ethics committees, the investigators will proceed with a phase 3 study for which randomization will take place in December, 2022. There will be two study arms. Arm 1 will be the intervention arm in which there will be provided BE-PEP to all persons residing within 100 meters of an index case, to be repeated after four weeks for household contacts. Arm 2 will be the comparator arm in which the WHO recommended standard PEP will be provided, i.e. 10 mg/kg of rifampicin in a single dose. In both arms anyone living within 100 meters of an index case will be targeted or the entire village if more than 50% are eligible. Provision of BE-PEP will start in 2023 and follow-up will continue until 2026. The main study outcome will be the comparison of leprosy risk in individuals that received standard WHO SDR-PEP versus individuals that received BE-PEP. In addition the overall leprosy incidence over the follow-up period will be compared between the two study arms. As stated above, the primary outcome measure will be the incidence rate ratio of leprosy between those who received BE-PEP and those who received the standard SDR-PEP. From this analysis the investigators will exclude those not eligible for BE-PEP, i.e. children below 5 years of age and/or with a weight below 20 kg. A Poisson model will be fit with village nested in island as random effect and controlled for distance to the nearest index case at baseline. In addition the investigators will compute incidence rate ratios between the entire BE-PEP and SDR-PEP arms over the period 2023-2026, also based on a Poisson model with village nested in island as random effect. Throughout the BE-PEOPLE trial the investigators will continue sampling leprosy patients identified (a skin biopsy from the edge of non-facial lesions), with the aim of using molecular assays for M. leprae as quality assurance mechanism. If sufficient DNA is available Deeplex-MycLep will be used for typing the strains, which will allow to perform highly sensitive surveillance for (traces of) resistance to rifampicin and bedaquiline. As part of BE-PEOPLE, the investigators will moreover enroll all microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis patients on all islands of Comoros (Moheli, Anjouan, and Grande Comore, where bedaquiline will not be introduced, maximum 100 patients/ year) and assess whether they ever received (BE-)PEP or leprosy treatment. The investigators will genotype their sputum with Deeplex-MycTB XL, which includes all M. tuberculosis genes (potentially) involved in resistance to rifampicin and bedaquiline, to be able to detect the earliest traces of acquired resistance to these drugs, which is unexpected after single dose administration.The overall goal of BE-PEOPLE is to validate a robust and safe leprosy PEP regimen, and its optimal administration, that prevents leprosy in the individual and interrupts transmission at the village level.If BE-PEP turns out to be safe and successful, the investigators aim to adjust national guidelines in Comoros towards island wide implementation on Anjouan and Moheli, allowing to sustainably eliminate leprosy.
52 studies on the registry are indexed under Leprosy; 13 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 124,000 is above the median of 70 across 41 interventional studies indexed under Leprosy.
Browse Leprosy studies →Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium is the lead sponsor of 104 studies on the registry; 21 are open to participants now.
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Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Intervention arm in which BE-PEP will be provided to all persons residing within 100 meters of an index case, to be repeated after four weeks for household contacts. BE-PEP: bedaquiline (400 or 800 mg depending on weight band) combined with rifampicin (10 mg/kg) will be provided as post-exposure prophylaxis Both arms will target anyone living within 100 meters of an index case or the entire village if more than 50% are eligible. The dosage form of rifampicine is 150 mg and 300 mg, for bedaquiline it's 20 mg or 100 mg.
Drug: BE-PEP Bedaquiline · Drug: BE-PEP Rifampicin
WHO recommended standard PEP will be provided, i.e. 10 mg/kg of rifampicin in a single dose. In both arms anyone living within 100 meters of an index case will be targeted or the entire village if more than 50% are eligible. The dosage form of rifampicine is 150 mg and 300 mg.
Drug: SDR-PEP Rifampicin
bedaquiline
SDR-PEP: rifampicin
BE-PEP rifampicin
To evaluate effectiveness of PEP based on a combination of rifampicin and bedaquiline (BE-PEP), in preventing leprosy among contacts of incident cases.
The incidence rate ratio of leprosy between contacts who received the trial regimen (BE-PEP: rifampicin 600 mg plus bedaquiline 800mg, repeated once after four weeks for household contacts) and those who received the WHO standard prophylactic regimen (SDR-PEP: rifampicin 600 mg, single dose).
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 4 years
To assess effectiveness of the BE-PEP regimen at village level.
The incidence rate ratio between villages that received BE-PEP and villages that received SDR-PEP.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 4 years
To quantify frequency of potential adverse events such as gastro-intestinal (nausea, vomiting), nervous system-related (headache, dizziness) and cutaneous reactions
The proportion of participants treated with BE-PEP that report adverse events, with a breakdown by type of event.
Time frame: Until day 30 after treatment administration. 2026 final analyses
To assess anti-PGL-I sero surveys as a tool to monitor leprosy transmission
anti-PGL-I sero prevalence rates in villages belonging to arm 4 of the original PEOPLE trial at the time of the first survey round in 2019 and the final round of BE-PEOPLE in 2026
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 4 years
To monitor rifampicin and bedaquiline resistance among leprosy and tuberculosis patients
The investigators will quantify the prevalence of rifampicin and/or bedaquiline resistant strains of M. leprae and M. tuberculosis on each of the study islands making use of molecular markers.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 4 years
To assess cost-effectiveness of the BE-PEP regimen compared to SDR-PEP.
Cost per case averted between BE-PEP arm and SDR-PEP.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 4 years
To evaluate the viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during and after treatment among TB patients on Grande Comore.
The change in viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in subsequent samples of TB patient undergoing treatment on Grande Comore
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 4 years
Started Mar 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2027, 47 months after the start.
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