Beta-Lactam Containing Regimen for the Shortening of Buruli Ulcer Disease Therapy

Summary

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a skin Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) that is caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. It affects skin, soft tissues and bones causing long-term morbidity, stigma and disability. The greatest burden falls on children in sub-Saharan Africa. Treating BU requires 8-weeks with daily rifampicin and clarithromycin, wound care, and sometimes tissue grafting and surgery. Healing can take up to one year. Compliance is challenging due to socioeconomic determinants and may pose an unbearable financial burden to the household. Recent studies led by members of this Consortium demonstrated that beta-lactams combined with rifampicin and clarithromycin are synergistic against M. ulcerans in vitro. Amoxicillin/clavulanate is oral, suitable for treatment in adults and children, and readily available with an established clinical pedigree. Its inclusion in a triple oral BU therapy has the potential of improving healing and shortening BU therapy. The investigators propose a single blinded, randomized, controlled open label non-inferiority phase II, multi-centre trial in Benin with participants stratified according to BU category lesions and randomized in two oral regimens: (i) Standard \[RC8\]: rifampicin plus clarithromycin (RC) therapy for 8 weeks; and (ii) Investigational \[RCA4\]: standard (RC) plus amoxicillin/clavulanate (A) for 4 weeks. At least, a total of 140 patients will be recruited (70 per treatment arm), of which at least 132 will be PCR-confirmed. The primary efficacy outcome will be lesion healing without recurrence and without excision surgery 12 months after start of treatment (i.e. cure). A clinical expert panel assessing the need of excision surgery in both treatment arms will be blinded for treatment allocation in order to make objectives comparisons. Decision for excision surgery will be delayed to 14 weeks after initiation of antibiotic treatment. Secondary clinical efficacy outcomes include recurrence, treatment discontinuation and compliance rates, and the incidence of adverse effects, among others. In addition, two sub-studies will be performed: a pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis and a bacterial clearance study. If successful, this study will create a new paradigm for BU treatment, which could inform changes in WHO policy and practice. This trial may also provide information on treatment shortening strategies for other mycobacterial infections, such as tuberculosis or leprosy.

Timeline

Start

2021-12-01

Primary completion

2026-05-31

Completion

2026-05-31

Publications

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• Saez-Lopez E, Millan-Placer AC, Lucia A, Ramon-Garcia S. Amoxicillin/clavulanate in combination with rifampicin/clarithromycin is bactericidal against Mycobacterium ulcerans. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Apr 4;18(4):e0011867. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011867. eCollection 2024 Apr.
• Johnson RC, Saez-Lopez E, Anagonou ES, Kpoton GG, Ayelo AG, Gnimavo RS, Mignanwande FZ, Houezo JG, Sopoh GE, Addo J, Orford L, Vlasakakis G, Biswas N, Calderon F, Della Pasqua O, Gine-March A, Herrador Z, Mendoza-Losana A, Diez G, Cruz I, Ramon-Garcia S. Comparison of 8 weeks standard treatment (rifampicin plus clarithromycin) vs. 4 weeks standard plus amoxicillin/clavulanate treatment [RC8 vs. RCA4] to shorten Buruli ulcer disease therapy (the BLMs4BU trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled multi-centre trial in Benin. Trials. 2022 Jul 8;23(1):559. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06473-9.

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Indications