Trial Evaluating the Clinical Efficacy of Cefixime for Treatment of Early Syphilis in Non-pregnant Women

NCT ID: NCT03752112

Last Updated: 2020-02-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE1/PHASE2

Total Enrollment

180 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-11-22

Study Completion Date

2021-09-30

Brief Summary

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Hypotheses The antibiotic, Cefixime, for use in non-pregnant women with early syphilis will be efficacious and safe.

Primary Objective The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate the efficacy, as measured by a 4 fold decrease in Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) titer from baseline to 6 months after treatment, with Cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days.

Secondary Objective The secondary objective of the study is to determine the safety, as measured by the number of grade 3 or greater toxicities experienced, using the NIH/NCI toxicity score, during or after treatment with Cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days.

Detailed Description

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Hypotheses The antibiotic, Cefixime, for use in non-pregnant women with early syphilis will be efficacious and safe.

Primary Objective The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate the efficacy, as measured by a 4 fold decrease in Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) titer from baseline to 6 months after treatment, with Cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days.

Secondary Objective The secondary objective of the study is to determine the safety, as measured by the number of grade 3 or greater toxicities experienced, using the NIH/NCI toxicity score (10), during or after treatment with Cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days.

Methods Study design This is a randomized, non-comparative, open-label study assessing the efficacy and safety of cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days in non-pregnant women with early syphilis infection.

Study population and enrolment sites Numerous regions of Brazil have experienced increases in syphilis diagnoses during the previous 5 years The study sites were chosen from three cities in three separate regions (states) of Brazil based on: (1) increases in syphilis case reports, (2) access to clinics where patients are screened and treated for syphilis; (3) willingness of clinic sites and staff to participate in this research, and (4) the availability of experienced researchers with experience in studying syphilis to serve as co-investigators.

The study population will include non-pregnant women (ages 18 and over) diagnosed with early syphilis (RPR titers \>1:8) recruited from 7 clinics in three cities from three states in Brazil. These include: (1) Three clinics in the city of Fortaleza (Ceara State), coordinated by the University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR): (a) Carlos Ribeiro, (a) Meireles, and (c) Federal University. Syphilis epidemiology for each site in Annex 1. (2) Two University ObGyn Clinics in the city of Pelotas (state of Rio Grande do Sul) (5-6 cases of syphilis/week) a) Ambulatorio de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia - Faculdade de Medicina - Universidade Federal de Pelotas and b) Ambulatorio de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia - Campus da Saúde - Universidade Católica de Pelotas; and (3) Two clinics in Vitoria (State of Espirito Santo): (1) Reference Center for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (http://www.vitoria.es.gov.br/cidadao/centro-de-referencia-em-infeccoes-sexualmente-transmissiveis). (2) Hospital Universitário Cassiano Antonio Moraes - UFES.

Patients identified during standard of care testing with a positive rapid syphilis test and an RPR titer of greater than or equal to 1:8 will be referred to the study and offered enrollment according to the following description.

Non-study clinic-site staff will perform the first screening rapid finger-stick test for syphilis. The rapid syphilis test currently used in these clinics detects both new (acute) infection and old treated infection but does not distinguish between the two. Patients that are positive for the syphilis rapid finger-stick test will be notified by non-study staff of this result and the need for additional testing using the RPR test according to standard of care. Blood will be collected for the confirmatory RPR test by non-study staff. These patients will be notified of RPR results in approximately 3 days to 1 week. The results a confirmed syphilis diagnosis and of the RPR test results for those patients that are eligible for enrolment in the study (RPR \>1:8) will be provided by a study nurse. The study will be explained to eligible participants (RPR titer of \>1:8) by this study nurse, and if women express interest in participating, informed consent will be obtained. It is expected that an enrolment visit could last approximately 1.5 hours.

Patients that are not eligible for the study (negative RPR or RPR with titer \<1:8) will receive syphilis RPR results from non-study staff.

Pregnancy tests will be completed on all potential participants and those that test positive will not be enrolled in the study.

The timing of the recruitment process will depend on the number of women diagnosed with syphilis and who have an RPR titer \>1:8 and who consent to participate in the study. It is anticipated that enrollment will take approximately 1 year to complete.

To benchmark the performance of benzathine penicillin in the study population being used for cefixime, The investigators will include a contemporary arm of participants that will receive standard of care treatment with benzathine penicillin according to the Brazil national sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment guidelines. The investigators will use a ratio of 2 patients receiving cefixime to 1 patient receiving benzathine penicillin.

This non-comparator arm of benzathine penicillin will be included to account for study population differences in terms of stage of disease, history of prior infection, experience of re-infection, experience of serofast state, or other co-factors that could impact serological response. An estimate of performance of this standard of care will be calculated, but this will not be compared directly to the study intervention.

The investigators will enrol 180 eligible women into the study: 120 for the cefixime arm and 60 for the benzathine penicillin arm. It is anticipated that enrollment will take approximately 1 year to complete. Patients will be participating in the study for approximately 9 months. The study is expected to last for approximately two years. Women that are referred to the study but decline enrolment will be treated at the clinic following national STI treatment guidelines for syphilis.

Conditions

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Syphilis Female

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

This is a Phase 1/2 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cefixime for use in treating women with acute syphilis.

This is a randomized, non-comparative, open label study assessing the efficacy and safety of cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days in non-pregnant women with early syphilis infection.To benchmark the performance of benzathine penicillin in the study population being used for cefixime, The investigators will include a contemporary arm of participants that will receive standard of care treatment with benzathine penicillin according to the Brazil national STI treatment guidelines. The investigators will use a ratio of 2 patients receiving cefixime to 1 patient receiving benzathine penicillin.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Cefixime

cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days in non-pregnant women with early syphilis infection.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Cefixime

Intervention Type DRUG

Cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days in non-pregnant women with early syphilis infection

Benzathine penicillin

To benchmark the performance of benzathine penicillin in the study population being used for cefixime, the investigators will include a contemporary arm of participants that will receive standard of care treatment with benzathine penicillin according to the Brazil national STI treatment guidelines. The investigators will use a ratio of 2 patients receiving cefixime to 1 patient receiving benzathine penicillin.

Group Type OTHER

Benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units

Intervention Type DRUG

Benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units: The investigators will include a contemporary arm of participants that will receive standard of care treatment with Benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units according to the Brazil national STI treatment guidelines. The investigators will use a ratio of 2 patients receiving cefixime to 1 patient receiving benzathine penicillin.This non-comparator arm of benzathine penicillin will be included to account for study population differences in terms of stage of disease, history of prior infection, experience of re-infection, experience of serofast state, or other co-factors that could impact serological response

Interventions

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Cefixime

Cefixime 400mg taken orally two times a day for 10 consecutive days in non-pregnant women with early syphilis infection

Intervention Type DRUG

Benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units

Benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units: The investigators will include a contemporary arm of participants that will receive standard of care treatment with Benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units according to the Brazil national STI treatment guidelines. The investigators will use a ratio of 2 patients receiving cefixime to 1 patient receiving benzathine penicillin.This non-comparator arm of benzathine penicillin will be included to account for study population differences in terms of stage of disease, history of prior infection, experience of re-infection, experience of serofast state, or other co-factors that could impact serological response

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Intervention Standard treatment

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Female, 18 years of age or older
2. Non-pregnant
3. Able to provide informed consent
4. Test positive for syphilis with a positive TPPA AND an RPR titer equal to or greater than 1:8
5. Non-cephalosporin allergic
6. Non-penicillin allergic
7. Agree to be called once a day by study staff to be reminded to take study drug
8. Able to swallow pills
9. Willing to attend follow-up visits at 3, 6, and 9 months after completion of the study treatment
10. Willing to take oral contraceptive or use condom to prevent pregnancy during the study period
11. HIV negative

Exclusion Criteria

1\) Female under 18 years of age 2) HIV positive 3) Pregnancy test positive or clinical pregnancy 4) Prior history of syphilis or syphilis treatment within 6 months of study screening 5) Allergy to penicillin or cephalosporins (including allergy to cefixime) 6) In the judgment of the interviewer, has a medical condition or other factor that might affect their ability to follow the protocol 7) Previous enrollment in the study 8) Presenting a condition that would not allow reliable informed consent (alcohol abuse or substance misuse) 9) Lacking mental capacity to give informed consent to participation

\-
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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World Health Organization

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Melanie Taylor

Medical Offier

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Melanie M Taylor, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

World Health Organization

Nathalie JN Broutet, MD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

World Health Organization

Edna O Kara, MD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

World Health Organization

Locations

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Fortaleza University

Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Brazil

Central Contacts

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Melanie M Taylor, MD

Role: CONTACT

+41 22 791 2172

Edna O Kara, MD

Role: CONTACT

+41 22 791 2649

Facility Contacts

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Alix Araujo, PhD

Role: primary

Ivo Castell Branco Coelho, MD

Role: backup

References

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Hook EW 3rd, Behets F, Van Damme K, Ravelomanana N, Leone P, Sena AC, Martin D, Langley C, McNeil L, Wolff M. A phase III equivalence trial of azithromycin versus benzathine penicillin for treatment of early syphilis. J Infect Dis. 2010 Jun 1;201(11):1729-35. doi: 10.1086/652239.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20402591 (View on PubMed)

Workowski KA, Bolan GA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2015 Jun 5;64(RR-03):1-137.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26042815 (View on PubMed)

WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Treponema pallidum (Syphilis). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384904/

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27631046 (View on PubMed)

Liang Z, Chen YP, Yang CS, Guo W, Jiang XX, Xu XF, Feng SX, Liu YQ, Jiang G. Meta-analysis of ceftriaxone compared with penicillin for the treatment of syphilis. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2016 Jan;47(1):6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2015.10.020. Epub 2015 Nov 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26724187 (View on PubMed)

Norris SJ, Cox DL, Weinstock GM. Biology of Treponema pallidum: correlation of functional activities with genome sequence data. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001 Jan;3(1):37-62.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11200228 (View on PubMed)

Faulkner RD, Fernandez P, Lawrence G, Sia LL, Falkowski AJ, Weiss AI, Yacobi A, Silber BM. Absolute bioavailability of cefixime in man. J Clin Pharmacol. 1988 Aug;28(8):700-6. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1988.tb03203.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3216036 (View on PubMed)

Faulkner RD, Bohaychuk W, Haynes JD, Desjardins RE, Yacobi A, Silber BM. The pharmacokinetics of cefixime in the fasted and fed state. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1988;34(5):525-8. doi: 10.1007/BF01046715.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3203716 (View on PubMed)

Barbee LA, Nayak SU, Blumer JL, O'Riordan MA, Gray W, Zenilman JM, Golden MR, Griffiss JM. A Phase 1 Pharmacokinetic and Safety Study of Extended-Duration, High-dose Cefixime for Cephalosporin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Pharynx. Sex Transm Dis. 2018 Oct;45(10):677-683. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000844.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29624558 (View on PubMed)

Rafal'skii VV, Dovgan' EV, Kozyrev IuV, Gustovarova TA, Khlybova SV, Novoselova AV, Filippenko NG, Likhikh DG. [The efficacy and safety of cefixime and amoxicillin/clavulanate in the treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women: a randomized, prospective, multicenter study]. Urologiia. 2013 Sep-Oct;(5):24, 26-8. Russian.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24437236 (View on PubMed)

Nurse-Findlay S, Taylor MM, Savage M, Mello MB, Saliyou S, Lavayen M, Seghers F, Campbell ML, Birgirimana F, Ouedraogo L, Newman Owiredu M, Kidula N, Pyne-Mercier L. Shortages of benzathine penicillin for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis: An evaluation from multi-country surveys and stakeholder interviews. PLoS Med. 2017 Dec 27;14(12):e1002473. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002473. eCollection 2017 Dec.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29281619 (View on PubMed)

U.S.DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute. Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 4.0 . https://evs.nci.nih.gov/ftp1/CTCAE/CTCAE_4.03/Archive/CTCAE_4.0_2009-05-29_QuickReference_8.5x11.pdf

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Cao Y, Su X, Wang Q, Xue H, Zhu X, Zhang C, Jiang J, Qi S, Gong X, Zhu X, Pan M, Ren H, Hu W, Wei Z, Tian M, Liu W. A Multicenter Study Evaluating Ceftriaxone and Benzathine Penicillin G as Treatment Agents for Early Syphilis in Jiangsu, China. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Oct 30;65(10):1683-1688. doi: 10.1093/cid/cix611.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29020150 (View on PubMed)

Stafylis C, Keith K, Mehta S, Tellalian D, Burian P, Millner C, Klausner JD. Clinical Efficacy of Cefixime for the Treatment of Early Syphilis. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 7;73(5):907-910. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab187.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 33640982 (View on PubMed)

Taylor MM, Kara EO, Araujo MAL, Silveira MF, Miranda AE, Branco Coelho IC, Bazzo ML, Mendes Pereira GF, Pereira Giozza S, Bermudez XPD, Mello MB, Habib N, Nguyen MH, Thwin SS, Broutet N. Phase II trial evaluating the clinical efficacy of cefixime for treatment of active syphilis in non-pregnant women in Brazil (CeBra). BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 10;20(1):405. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-04980-1.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 32522244 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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ERC0003096

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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