Customized Antibiotic Treatment Duration Among Hospitalized Patients With Moderately Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAT-CAP)

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate if the efficacy of an experimental strategy on antibiotic treatment duration based on stopping treatment when stability criteria are reached after at least 48 h of treatment, is non-inferior to the efficacy of standard antibiotic duration in CAP patients treated in the hospital setting.

As the secondary objectives, the study aims

• To study if the efficacy of our experimental strategy on antibiotic treatment duration compared to standard of care in CAP patients treated in the hospital setting is non-inferior in terms of:

  • Persistence of cure at Day 30 of antibiotic treatment
  • All-cause mortality rate on Day 30 of antibiotic treatment
  • Patients evolution of pneumonia symptoms and quality of life via 2 scores (CAP score, CAP Sym) at Day 0 of treatment (retrospectively), at stability (Day S), at Day 7 , at Day 15, and at Day 30 of antibiotic treatment.

• To compare between the 2 study arms at Day 30 of antibiotic treatment:

  • The duration of antibiotic treatment;
  • The length of hospital stay;
  • The frequency and severity of adverse events during the 30 days after the start of treatment.
• To explore the impact of reduced antibiotic treatment duration for CAP on the oropharyngeal resistome.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Community-Acquired Pneumonia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Continue the antimicrobial treatment; Other: Stop antibiotic

Detailed Description

Recent studies have suggested that community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can be successfully treated with short-course antibiotic regimen when clinical improvement is rapidly obtained. Even if clinical response is obtained in 3 days in the majority of cases, it can vary widely among patients suggesting "one duration does not fit all". An individualised duration of therapy depending on the patient's response could help to ensure bacterial eradication while avoiding unnecessary antibiotic exposure and thus reduce antibiotic resistance. At present, this strategy has never been tested.

This is a phase III, pragmatic, non-inferiority randomised (1:1) national multicentre trial. Population of study participants will be patients admitted to hospital with suspected CAP and in need for antibiotics.

There is no need to establish a DSMB for this trial. The antibiotic treatments prescribed during this study are treatments used in current practice, with well-known adverse drug reactions. Furthermore, a 3-day treatment duration has already been studied in 2 previous randomized clinical trials, showing its safety for hospitalized CAP.

Statistical analysis:

Statistical inference for non-inferiority will be based on the confidence intervals (CI) of the difference in Day 15 cure proportions [proportion in reference arm - proportion in experimental arm] accounting for randomisation stratification factors (centre and delay from Day 0 to Day S (≤ 3 days or > 3 days).

The inferiority hypothesis will be rejected and non-inferiority will be claimed if the upper bound of the 95%CI of the difference is ≤ 10%.

Secondary efficacy endpoints evaluating the evolution of symptoms will be analysed using either a GMM or a GEE for categorical and continuous variables, respectively.

Other quantitative variables will be compared using the Student t-test (or a non-parametric test if the distribution remains skewed following transformation), while categorical variables will be analysed using either the Chi-squared or the Fisher-exact tests.

All statistical tests will be performed with a level of significance of 5%, except the primary endpoint which be analysed with a 2.5% level of significance.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 328
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Aurélien Dinh, MD, PhD; Phone Number: + 33 (0)1 47 10 44 32; Email: aurelien.dinh@aphp.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Jacques Ropers, PharmD; Phone Number: + 33 01 42 16 03 48; Email: jacques.ropers@aphp.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Garches, France, 92380
    • Recruiting
    • Infectious Diseases Department, Raymond-Poincaré Hospital - APHP

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patient (≥18 years old)

• Admitted to hospital for suspected CAP defined by the presence of at least 2 of the following diagnostic clinical criteria:

  • Fever (temperature > 38°C) or hypothermia (< 36°C)
  • Dyspnea
  • Cough
  • Production of purulent sputum
  • Crackles
• Radiological evidence of a new infiltrate (chest X-ray or CT scan)
• Negative viral respiratory testing
• Treated for a minimum of 48 hours with antibiotics (excluding azithromycin due to its prolonged half-life)Presenting with an early clinical response within the last 24 hours (up to 7 days after the start of antibiotic treatment, if planned treatment duration > 7 days), defined by the presence of all the following criteria:apyrexia (T°C ≤ 37.8)heart rate < 100/minrespiratory rate < 24/min, according to the patient's usual mode of oxygenation,arterial oxygen saturation ≥ 92%, according to the patient's usual mode of oxygenation,Patient currently under antibiotic treatment for his suspected CAP (i.e. the last dose of ATB has been administered to the patient less than 24 hours ago)

• Patient presenting a clinical response within the last 24 hours defined by the presence of all the following criteria:

  • apyrexia (T°C ≤ 37.8)
  • heart rate < 100/min
  • respiratory rate < 24/min, according to the patient's usual mode of oxygenation,
  • arterial oxygen saturation ≥ 92%, according to the patient's usual mode of oxygenation,
  • systolic blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg, The last occurring of these criteria must have appeared within the last 24 hours.
• The antibiotic treatment for suspected CAP has started at least 48 hours ago and at most 6 days ago
• No other site of infection besides respiratory
• Affiliated to Health insurance
• Has given informed consent
• Patient understanding oral and written French, or presence of a relative who can explain and help him complete the study documents

Exclusion Criteria:

• Signs of severe CAP (abscess, massive pleural effusion, serious chronic respiratory insufficiency)
• Known immunosuppression (asplenia, neutropenia, agammaglobulinemia, transplant, myeloma, lymphoma, known HIV and CD4<200/mm3)
• Suspected or confirmed legionellosis
• Any other infection necessitating concomitant antibiotic treatment
• Confirmed or suspected aspiration pneumonia or healthcare-associated pneumonia
• Treatment of suspected CAP with azithromycin (due to its prolonged half-life)
• Concomitant steroid treatment (only for patients treated with fluoroquinolones antibiotics)
• Pre-existing aortic aneurysm or dissection, family history of aortic aneurysm or dissection, Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Takayasu arthritis, uncontrolled arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis (only for patients treated with fluoroquinolones antibiotics)
• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• Life expectancy < 1 month
• Patient under legal guardianship (French "tutelle" or "curatelle")
• Patient without fixed address
• Patient enrolled in another interventional clinical trial on CAP treatment

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Antibiotic treatment; Antibiotic treatment duration left to the physician's judgment (usual practice: total treatment duration between 5 to 10 days according to French guidelines; more than 7 days of treatment should be justified).	Drug: Continue the antimicrobial treatment; Continue the antimicrobial treatment for a duration predetermined by the investigator (usual practice, at least 5 days of treatment in total).
Experimental: Interruption of treatment; Interruption of treatment based on the patient reaching all of the following stability criteria (body temperature ≤ 37.8°C; heart rate ≤ 100/min; systolic blood pressure > 90mmHg; oxygen saturation ≥ 92%; respiratory rate < 24/min; normal mental status (27)), with a treatment duration no shorter than 48 h.	Other: Stop antibiotic; Stop the antibiotic treatment on day S (stability criteria reached for 24 h or within 48 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of cure at Day 15 after treatment initiation	Cure at Day 15 will be defined by the association of: Persistence of stability criteria (body temperature ≤ 37.8°C; heart rate ≤ 100/min; systolic blood pressure > 90mmHg; oxygen saturation ≥ 92%; respiratory rate < 24/min; normal mental status);; No additional antibiotic treatment, targeting CAP, taken after the end of initial antibiotic treatment. Patients who died, or are not cured as defined above, will be classified as failure at Day 15.	Day 15

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of cure at Day 30	Rate of cure at Day 30 after the start of treatment defined by the association of: persistence of stability criteria (body temperature ≤ 37.8°C; heart rate ≤ 100/min; systolic blood pressure > 90mmHg; O2 saturation ≥ 92%; respiratory rate < 24/min; normal mental status); absence of additional antibiotic treatment needed after the end of initial antibiotic treatment.	Day 30
Mortality on Day 30	All-cause mortality on Day 30 after the start of antibiotic treatment.	Day 30
Patients' evolution of pneumonia symptoms	Patients' evolution of pneumonia symptoms by CAP Score at Day 0 of treatment (retrospectively), at stability (Day S), at Day 7, at Day 15, and at Day 30 of antibiotic treatment.	Day-0, Day S, Day 7, at Day 15, and at Day 30
Patients' evolution of pneumonia symptoms	Patients' evolution of pneumonia symptoms and quality of life by CAP Sym: validated self-questionnaires filled at Day 0 of treatment (retrospectively), at stability (Day S), at Day 7, at Day 15, and at Day 30 of antibiotic treatment.	Day 15 and Day 30
Duration of antibiotic treatment targeting CAP	Duration of antibiotic treatment targeting CAP during the 30 days after the start of treatment.	Day 30
Duration of antibiotic treatment for all indications	Duration of antibiotic treatment for all indications during the 30 days after the start of treatment.	Day 30
Length of hospitalization	Length of initial hospital stay	Day 30
Incidence of adverse event	Frequency and severity of adverse events during the 30 days after the start of treatment	Day 30
Number of resistance genes	Calculating for each patient, the number of resistance genes normalised against the quantity of total bacterial DNA, the bacterial richness and diversity, among 300 patients.	Day S and Day 30

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Aurélien Dihn, MD, PhD, Infectious Diseases Department, Raymond-Poincaré Hospital - APHP; Study Director: Jacques Ropers, PharmD, Clinical Research Unit Pitié Salpêtrière - Charles Foix, CHU La Pitié-Salpêtrière - APHP

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Dinh A, Ropers J, Duran C, Davido B, Deconinck L, Matt M, Senard O, Lagrange A, Makhloufi S, Mellon G, de Lastours V, Bouchand F, Mathieu E, Kahn JE, Rouveix E, Grenet J, Dumoulin J, Chinet T, Pepin M, Delcey V, Diamantis S, Benhamou D, Vitrat V, Dombret MC, Renaud B, Perronne C, Claessens YE, Labarere J, Bedos JP, Aegerter P, Cremieux AC; Pneumonia Short Treatment (PTC) Study Group. Discontinuing beta-lactam treatment after 3 days for patients with community-acquired pneumonia in non-critical care wards (PTC): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority trial. Lancet. 2021 Mar 27;397(10280):1195-1203. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00313-5. Erratum In: Lancet. 2021 Jun 5;397(10290):2150. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01157-0.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 5, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 6, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): June 15, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 17, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Infectious diseases; Antibiotic resistance; Community-Acquired Pneumonia; Antibiotic treatment duration
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pneumonia; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents
• Other Study ID Numbers: APHP220814; 2023-504208-27-00 (Other Identifier: EU CT number)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No