Clinical use of rifabutin, a rifamycin-class antibiotic, for the treatment of tuberculosis (A supplement to the 2008 revision of "Standards for tuberculosis care").

The Treatment Committee of the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis published statements on the “Standards for tuberculosis care” in April 2008. Therein we referred to rifampicin as follows; “Use of rifampicin requires attention because of the interactions with a number of other drugs. Particularly for HIV-infected patients who need antiviral drugs, the replacement of rifampicin by rifabutin should be considered”. Rifabutin, belonging to rifamycin-class antibiotics like rifampicin, causes less significant drug-drug interactions than rifampicin, and can be used in combination with antiviral drugs mentioned above. In July 2008, rifabutin was approved as antituberculous drug, and is expected to be added to the drug price listing in the near future*. Therefore, to the published opinions, we add new statements concerning the use of rifabutin for the treatment of tuberculosis. *Added to the list in September 2008.