Clinical Utility of Contezolid-Containing Regimens in 25 Cases of Linezolid-Intolerable Tuberculosis Patients

Objective: Linezolid is increasingly used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis (TB) with good efficacy; however, its clinical use is limited by intolerable adverse events (AEs). This usually results in dose adjustment or even discontinuation. Contezolid is a new oxazolidinone antibiotic with in vitro antibacterial activity against MDR TB equivalent to linezolid, but its safety and efficacy in MDB TB treatment has not been established. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 25 TB patients who received both linezolid and contezolid in Beijing Chest Hospital from January 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023. All patients received linezolid-containing anti-TB regimen first and then switched to contezolid-containing regimens due to the intolerable linezolid-related AEs. Results: Most (68%, 17/25) of the patients were diagnosed with RR-TB or MDR-TB. A total of 30 AEs were reported in these patients. About 26.7% (8/30) of the AEs were Grade 3 (severe) in severity. After switching to contezolid-containing anti-TB regimens for at least 1 month, the linezolid-related AEs were resolved or improved in 90% of the cases. Clinical improvement was observed in all patients after treatment with contezolid-containing regimen, with negative results of sputum culture and/or smear for M. tuberculosis in 84% of the patients. Conclusion: Contezolid can be the first choice instead of linezolid to combine with other anti-TB drugs if necessary. Well-designed clinical trials are required to further confirm the safety and efficacy of contezolid in the treatment of TB patients.