Moxifloxacin is an effective and safe candidate agent for tuberculosis treatment: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the introduction of moxifloxacin into the recommended regimen for tuberculosis (TB) treatment.

Methods: A meta-analysis was performed of nine eligible studies regarding the effect of moxifloxacin plus the recommended regimen compared to the recommended regimen alone for the treatment of TB.

Results: In the efficacy analysis, the overall odds ratio (OR) for sputum culture conversion was 1.895 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.355-2.651, p=0.000), indicating that when moxifloxacin is combined with the recommended regimen, the rate of sputum culture conversion is elevated compared to the recommended regimen alone. The overall OR for recurrence was 0.516 (95% CI 0.342-0.920, p=0.022), suggesting that the introduction of moxifloxacin into the recommended regimen reduces TB relapse after treatment. In the safety analysis, the overall OR was estimated to be 1.001 (95% CI 0.855-1.172, p=0.989), demonstrating that adding moxifloxacin to the recommended regimen does not cause more adverse events during TB treatment.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that the introduction of moxifloxacin into the recommended regimen for the treatment of non-drug resistant TB improves the clinical outcome by elevating the culture conversion rate and reducing the recurrence rate.

Keywords: Meta-analysis; Moxifloxacin; Recommended regimens; Tuberculosis.