Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infection Oral Antibiotic Therapy Trial (GOAT)

March 9, 2026 updated by: Johns Hopkins University
The Gram-negative bloodstream infection Oral Antibiotic Therapy trial (The GOAT Trial) is a multi-center, randomized clinical trial that hypothesizes that early transition to oral antibiotic therapy for the treatment of Gram-Negative BloodStream Infection (GN-BSI) is as effective but safer than remaining on intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy for the duration of treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is an open-label, pragmatic, randomized trial of approximately 1,204 adult patients hospitalized across 9 United States hospitals with the overarching goal of determining whether the optimal approach for the management of GN-BSI is (1) IV antibiotics for the duration of treatment or (2) initial IV antibiotics followed by early transition to oral antibiotics for the duration of treatment. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to remain on IV antibiotics or transition to oral antibiotics as soon as possible after blood culture collection, but no more than 5 days later. The primary objective is to compare the Desirability of Outcomes Ranking (DOOR) distributions between patients with GN-BSI receiving IV antibiotic treatment only versus patients transitioned early to oral antibiotic treatment. The study hypothesis is that oral treatment will result in a more favorable DOOR distribution than IV treatment, likely as a result of differential adverse events and changes in Quality of Life (QoL) profiles.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1030

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Pranita D Tamma, MD, MHS
  • Phone Number: 410-614-1492
  • Email: tammap1@chop.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94143
    • Colorado
      • Denver, Colorado, United States, 80204
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21202
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Recruiting
        • Johns Hopkins University Hospital Systems
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Michael Melia, MD
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
    • New Jersey
      • New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States, 08901
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
    • Texas
    • Virginia

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult (≥ 18 years) at the time of screening
  • Hospitalized
  • Identification of at least one Gram-negative organism in a blood culture
  • Capable of providing written informed consent (includes through a legally authorized representative)
  • Willingness to adhere to assigned study arm
  • Capable and willing to complete a follow-up QoL interview (including through a legally authorized representative)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to tolerate or absorb a course of oral antibiotics
  • Actively receiving vasopressors
  • Gram-negative organism not susceptible to any oral antibiotics
  • Gram-negative organism not susceptible to any IV antibiotics

  • Polymicrobial bloodstream infection

    • The following patients with polymicrobial infections remain eligible for enrollment: (1) more than one morphology or species of a gram-negative organism (except for Acinetobacter baumannii or Stenotrophomonas maltophilia), (2) a single positive blood culture with a common commensal organism (grown in addition to an Enterobacterales species or Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Allergy or contraindication rendering no oral option or no IV option for therapy with the listed antibiotic agents.
  • Anticipated duration of therapy greater than 14 days
  • Central nervous system infection
  • Absolute neutrophil count of <500 cells/mL or anticipated to reduce to <500 cells/mL during the antibiotic treatment course.
  • Receiving hospice care

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Intravenous Antibiotics
IV antibiotics from the time of randomization to the completion of antibiotic treatment. Includes antibiotics such as ceftriaxone, cefepime, piperacillin-tazobactam, and meropenem.
Drug: Intravenous Antibiotics
Participants will continue to receive intravenous antibiotics until the completion of the treatment course
Active Comparator: Oral Antibiotics
Oral antibiotics from the time of randomization to the completion of antibiotic treatment, Includes antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Drug: Oral Antibiotics
Participants will transition to oral antibiotics at the time of randomization and will continue oral antibiotics until the completion of the treatment course

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Desirability of Outcome Ranking (DOOR)
Time Frame: Day 30
Each participant will be placed in 1 of 5 DOOR levels based on overall clinical response and treatment-related adverse events (AE). The 5 DOOR levels are as follows: successful clinical response and no treatment-related AE (Level 1); mild suboptimal clinical response or mild treatment-related AE (Level 2); moderate suboptimal clinical response or moderate treatment-related AE (Level 3); significant suboptimal clinical response or significant treatment-related AE (Level 4); death (Level 5). The distribution of participants in the five DOOR levels will be used to ultimately determine which treatment approach is superior for the management of GN-BSI (i.e., IV antibiotic treatment or early transition to oral antibiotic treatment).
Day 30

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of All Cause Mortality
Time Frame: Day 30
30-day all cause mortality will be compared between adults with GN-BSI receiving IV antibiotic treatment only versus those transitioned early to oral antibiotic treatment
Day 30
Frequency of Recurrent infection
Time Frame: Day 30
30-day recurrent infection with the same bacterial species will be compared between adults with GN-BSI receiving IV antibiotic treatment only versus those transitioned early to oral antibiotic treatment
Day 30
Length of stay (days)
Time Frame: Day 30
Hospital length of stay will be compared between adults with GN-BSI alive at day 30 receiving IV antibiotic treatment only versus those transitioned early to oral antibiotic treatment
Day 30
Number of Participants with Treatment-related adverse events
Time Frame: Day 30
Moderate to severe treatment-related AEs will be compared between adults with GN-BSI receiving IV antibiotic treatment only versus those transitioned early to oral antibiotic treatment
Day 30

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Johns Hopkins University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sara E Cosgrove, MD, MS, Johns Hopkins University
  • Principal Investigator: Pranita D Tamma, MD, MHS, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 22, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 2, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 6, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 12, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00390397
  • CER-2022C1-26099 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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