The Trep-AB clinical trial will test the efficacy of an investigational neuropenetrative drug, Linezolid (LZD), compared to standard treatment, Benzathine penicillin G (BPG), for early syphilis in humans. The overarching idea of the work proposed herein is to investigate the use of LZD to treat syphilis, conducting a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate this new indication of a known antibacterial agent.
The syphilis epidemic is rampant around the world, and therapeutic options are restricted to an antibiotic, intramuscular (IM) BPG, which does not efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier. Treponema pallidum (T.p.), the bacteria that causes syphilis, invades the central nervous system (CNS) in 40% of patients, usually without symptoms. The prognostic implications of CNS invasion are the potential for severe neurologic complications, and treatment failure due to sequestered bacteria in the CNS. When indicated, the only way to identify and treat neurosyphilis is by lumbar puncture to examine the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), followed by intravenous (IV) Benzyl penicillin therapy. The invetigators have carried out in silico studies showing that oxazolidinones are potentially active against T.p., are neuropenetrative and can be administered orally. The invetigators have carried out preclinical studies using an in vitro culture system for T.p. and the use of the syphilis animal model with rabbits to test different antibiotics. The invetigators have confirmed that LZD was the best compound that could go on to be tested in clinical trials to treat syphilis. The Trep-AB clinical trial will test the efficacy of an investigational neuropenetrative drug, LZD, compared to standard treatment BPG, for early syphilis in humans conducting a randomized controlled clinical. Primary objective is to demonstrate the non-inferiority of LZD treatment compared with standard BPG treatment to cure patients with early syphilis. Seconday objective is to isolate T.p. strains in clinical samples to subtype DNA from patients at baseline and during recurrence or treatment failure.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
224
After randomized to the experimental arm, the patient will take 1 tablet of Linezolid every 12hours during 10 days or 1 tablet of of Linezolid every 24hours during 5 days.
After randomized to the control arm, the patient will receive a single dose of intramuscular BPG.
CAP Drassanes-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron
Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona Checkpoint
Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital Germans Trias Pujol
Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Mortimer Market Centre
London, United Kingdom
Proportion of patients with clinical resolution of primary syphilis lesions (clinical cure, primary).
Assesment of clinical resolution defined as the complete healing of primary syphilis lesions within 2 weeks from treatment start.
Time frame: at week 2
Proportion of patients with clinical resolution of secondary syphilis lesions (clinical cure, secondary).
Assesment of clinical resolution defined as the complete healing of secondary syphilis lesions within 6 weeks from treatment start.
Time frame: at week 6
Proportion of patients with adequate serological response (serological cure, week 12).
Assessment of adequate serological response defined as a four-fold decline in rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titer or seroreversion to negative.
Time frame: at week 12
Proportion of patients with adequate serological response (serological cure, week 24).
Assessment of adequatesserological response defined as a four-fold decline in rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titer or seroreversion to negative.
Time frame: at week 24
Proportion of patients with adequate serological response (serological cure, week 48).
Assessment of adequate serological response defined as a four-fold decline in rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titer or seroreversion to negative.
Time frame: at week 48
Proportion of patients with allelic variation in T. pallidum strain(s) DNA in recurrent syphilis or suspected treatment failure (molecular cure).
Assessment of re-infection in recurrent syphilis as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strain(s) compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence or treatment failure, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of patients with allelic variation in T. pallidum strain(s) DNA in ulcer or mucosa lesions swabs (re-infection).
Assessment of re-infection in recurrent syphilis lesions as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strain(s) compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of patients with allelic variation in T. pallidum strain(s) DNA in plasma (re-infection).
Assessment of re-infection in recurrent syphilis (secondary or early latent) as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strain(s) compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of patients with allelic variation in T. pallidum strain(s) DNA in oral swab/saliva (re-infection).
Assessment of re-infection in recurrent syphilis (secondary or early latent) as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strain(s) compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of patients with allelic variation in T. pallidum strain(s) DNA in skin punch biopsy (re-infection).
Assessment of re-infection in recurrent syphilis lesions as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strain(s) compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of patients with allelic variation in T. pallidum strain(s) DNA in ear lobe scraping (re-infection).
Assessment of re-infection in recurrent syphilis (secondary or early latent) as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strain(s) compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS). (Optional,in a selected group of patients).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
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Proportion of patients with suspicion of neurosyphilis that have allelic variation in Treponema pallidum (T.p) isolates DNA in CSF (re-infection).
Assessment of re-infection in patients with suspicion of neurosyphilis as defined by allelic variation in core genes of T. pallidum strains compared to baseline using a molecular method (MLST-WGS). (in a selected group of patients with suspicion of neurosyphilis).
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of patients with antibiotic resistance genotype.
Assesment of allelic variation in core genes conferring antimicrobial resistance in clinical specimens from patients who are considered to have treatment failure compared to patients with adequate clinical and serological response.
Time frame: From date of randomization until date of first documented recurrence, assesed up to 48 weeks
Proportion of participants experiencing adverse events.
Assesment of adverse events related to LZD treatment compared with adverse events related to standard BPG treatment in participants with early syphilis.
Time frame: up to 12 weeks
Proportion of patients who have a change in the RPR titer within 2 weeks after treatment start of primary syphilis.
Assessment of RPR titer variation at week 2 from treatment start of patients with primary syphilis.
Time frame: at 2 weeks