Browsing by Author "Voget, Jacqueline"

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    Open Access
    A cluster randomized controlled trial of extending ART refill intervals to six-monthly for anti-retroviral adherence clubs
    (2019-07-30) Wilkinson, Lynne; Grimsrud, Anna; Cassidy, Tali; Orrell, Catherine; Voget, Jacqueline; Hayes, Helen; Keene, Claire; Steele, Sarah J; Gerstenhaber, Rodd
    Abstract Background The antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence club (AC) differentiated service delivery model, where clinically stable ART patients receive their ART refills and psychosocial support in groups has supported clinically stable patients’ retention and viral suppression. Patients and health systems could benefit further by reducing visit frequency and increasing ART refills. We designed a cluster-randomized control trial comparing standard of care (SoC) ACs and six-month ART refill (Intervention) ACs in a large primary care facility in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Methods Existing ACs were randomized to either the control (SOC ACs) or intervention (Intervention ACs) arm. SoC ACs meet five times annually, receiving two-month ART refills with a four-month ART refill over year-end. Blood is drawn at the AC visit ahead of the clinical assessment visit. Intervention ACs meet twice annually receiving six-month ART refills, with a third individual visit for routine blood collection anytime two-four weeks before the annual clinical assessment AC visit. Primary outcomes will be retention in care, annual viral load assessment completion and viral load suppression. (<400copies/mL) after 2 years. Ethics approval has been granted by the University of Cape Town (HREC 652/2016) and the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Ethics Review Board (#1639). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and made widely available through presentations and briefing documents. Discussion Evaluation of an extended ART refill interval in adherence clubs will provide evidence towards novel model adaptions that can be made to further improve convenience for patients and leverage health system efficiencies. Trial registration Registered with the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry: PACTR201810631281009. Registered 11 September 2018.
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    Adverse drug reactions in South African patients receiving bedaquiline-containing tuberculosis treatment: an evaluation of spontaneously reported cases
    (2019-06-20) Jones, Jackie; Mudaly, Vanessa; Voget, Jacqueline; Naledi, Tracey; Maartens, Gary; Cohen, Karen
    Background Bedaquiline was recently introduced into World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended regimens for treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis. There is limited data on the long-term safety of bedaquiline. Because bedaquiline prolongs the QT interval, there are concerns regarding cardiovascular safety. The Western Cape Province in South Africa has an established pharmacovigilance programme: a targeted spontaneous reporting system which solicits reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in patients with HIV-1 and/or tuberculosis infection. Since 2015, bedaquiline has been included in the treatment regimens recommended for resistant tuberculosis in South Africa. We describe ADRs in patients on bedaquiline-containing tuberculosis treatment that were reported to the Western Cape Pharmacovigilance programme. Methods We reviewed reports of suspected ADRs and deaths received between March 2015 and June 2016 involving patients receiving bedaquiline-containing tuberculosis treatment. A multidisciplinary panel assessed causality, and categorised suspected ADRs using World Health Organisation-Uppsala Monitoring Centre system categories. “Confirmed ADRs” included all ADRs categorised as definite, probable or possible. Preventability was assessed using Schumock and Thornton criteria. Where a confirmed ADR occurred in a patient who died, the panel categorised the extent to which the ADR contributed to the patient’s death as follows: major contributor, contributor or non-contributor. Results Thirty-five suspected ADRs were reported in 32 patients, including 13 deaths. There were 30 confirmed ADRs, of which 23 were classified as “possible” and seven as “probable”. Bedaquiline was implicated in 22 confirmed ADRs in 22 patients. The most common confirmed ADR in patients receiving bedaquiline was QT prolongation (8 cases, 7 of which were severe). A fatal arrhythmia was suspected in 4 sudden deaths. These 4 patients were all taking bedaquiline together with other QT-prolonging drugs. There were 8 non-bedaquiline-associated ADRs, of which 7 contributed to deaths. Conclusions Confirmed ADRs in patients receiving bedaquiline reflect the known safety profile of bedaquiline. Quantifying the incidence and clinical consequences of severe QT-prolongation in patients receiving bedaquiline-containing regimens is a research priority to inform recommendations for patient monitoring in treatment programmes for drug resistant tuberculosis. Pharmacovigilance systems within tuberculosis treatment programmes should be supported and encouraged, to provide ongoing monitoring of treatment-limiting drug toxicity.