This study is a non-inferiority, prospective, parallel-group open-label randomized controlled trial. Three hundred forty-two HIV-negative patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and starting a new anti-multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment cycle will be included in the study. Two randomized arms of 171 patients each will be recruited over the two-year period, each patient will be followed-up over the entire course of anti-TB treatment and one year after the end of therapy. Regular study visits will include physical examination, collection of sputum, blood and urine and filling in the study questionnaire. On the collected specimens standard bacteriological and blood tests, as well as extended immunological analysis, will be performed. In the experimental group, an RNA transcriptomic analysis using RNA-Seq technology will also be performed.~In the control arm, the patients will receive a standardised World Health Organization recommended 20 months treatment while in the experimental arm the treatment duration will be guided by the transcriptomic signature-based model.~Treatment outcomes and level of TB relapse and survival within the follow-up period will be compared between the experimental and control arms. The efficacy of biomarker-guided treatment therapy will be assessed by a comparison of the proportions of favourable study outcome between two arms.
PredictEndTB signature is a non-inferiority, prospective, parallel-group open-label randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of individualised antituberculous treatment durations that utilize the transcriptomic signature-based model compared to the standardised twenty months treatment in a cohort of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients.