A Study to Compare the Safety and Effectiveness of 2 Doses of Levofloxacin Given for Different Time Periods in Patients With Pneumonia

Multicenter, Double-Blind Randomized Study to Compare the Safety and Efficacy of Levofloxacin 750 mg Once Daily for Five Days vs. Levofloxacin 500 mg Once Daily for 10 Days in the Treatment of Mild to Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of two antibiotic regimens in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in non-hospitalized adult patients. A 5-day course of 750 milligrams of levofloxacin given once daily will be compared to a 10-day course 500 milligrams of levofloxacin given once daily.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Levofloxacin is an antibiotic that is approved by the FDA for the treatment of sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, skin infections, urinary tract infections, and community-acquired pneumonia. This multicenter, double-blind (neither the patient nor the study doctor will know the dose of levofloxacin being administered) study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of two antibiotic regimens in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adult patients. A 5-day course of 750 milligrams of levofloxacin given once daily will be compared to a 10-day course 500 milligrams of levofloxacin given once daily. Patients receive levofloxacin by mouth or through a vein depending on the severity of their pneumonia. Patients are assessed after 3 days of treatment; treatment is discontinued if no significant improvement is noted. Patients showing signs of improvement continue in the study, with assessments on study days 12-16, and 17-21 (posttherapy visits), and 31-38 (poststudy visit). Effectiveness is assessed by measuring the ability of the study drug to eliminate bacteria causing pneumonia and to reduce the signs and symptoms of pneumonia. Chest x-rays and laboratory tests for presence of bacteria are performed during the study. Safety evaluations (incidence of adverse events, physical examinations, laboratory tests) are performed throughout the study. The study hypothesis is that levofloxacin administered at a higher dose for a shorter duration is at least as effective as levofloxacin administered at a lower dose for a longer duration in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia and is generally well-tolerated.

Levofloxacin, 500 milligrams (mg) by mouth or through vein daily for 10 days or 750 mg by mouth or slowly through a vein daily for 5 days

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

530

Phase

  • Phase 3

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

Ages Eligible for Study

16 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia as follows: clinical signs and symptoms of a lower respiratory tract infection and chest-x-ray findings consistent with pneumonia within 24 hours before entry into the study
  • At least one of the following: abnormal temperature (high or low) or abnormal white blood cell count
  • Previous antibiotic treatment <= 24 hours or, if the duration of treatment was >= 72 hours and that therapy failed based on at least 2 of the following: fever within 12 hours of entry into the study, chest x-ray findings have worsened compared to the initial chest-x-ray, white blood cell count is significantly increased, respiratory rate higher than at the start of treatment and >= 20 breaths per minute or need for supplemental oxygen if not previously needed
  • Patients whose infection is acquired in the community or, if in a nursing home, who had been living there < 14 days
  • Fine Class (rating scale used to assess patients' overall condition which includes information such as age, gender, other diseases, physical examination and laboratory findings) score <= 130 upon admission (patients with Fine Class scores > 70 but < = 130 must initially be hospitalized
  • Patients with scores of <= 70 may be treated as outpatients or hospitalized at the discretion of the investigator)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pneumonia known or suspected to be due to a bacteria resistant to levofloxacin
  • Previous allergic or serious reaction to or failed therapy with levofloxacin or similar drugs
  • Life expectancy < 72 hours
  • Hospitalized within 2 weeks before entry in the study or within 1 month before entry in the study if treated with antibiotics
  • Pneumonia acquired in a hospital
  • Cystic fibrosis or other lung disorders
  • Receiving chronic steroid treatment
  • Received assistance from a machine to breathe within the previous month

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: Double

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Clinical response rates based on signs and symptoms at posttherapy visit.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Microbiologic eradication rates at posttherapy visit; Clinical response rates (chest x-ray findings and signs/symptoms) and microbiologic eradication rates at poststudy; Incidence of adverse events

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

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

March 1, 2001

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2002

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 7, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 7, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

October 12, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 10, 2011

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2011

Last Verified

April 1, 2010

More Information

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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