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ObjectiveTo date, no randomised trials have compared the efficacy of vonoprazan and amoxicillin dual therapy with other standard regimens for Helicobacter pylori treatment. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the 7-day vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin dual therapy as a first-line H. pylori treatment, and compared this with vonoprazan-based triple therapy.DesignThis prospective, randomised clinical trial was performed at seven Japanese institutions. Patients with H. pylori–positive culture test and naive to treatment were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either VA-dual therapy (vonoprazan 20 mg+amoxicillin 750 mg twice/day) or VAC-triple therapy (vonoprazan 20 mg+amoxicillin 750 mg+clarithromycin 200 mg twice/day) for 7 days, with stratification by age, sex, H. pylori antimicrobial resistance and institution. Eradication success was evaluated by 13C-urea breath test at least 4 weeks after treatment.ResultsBetween October 2018 and June 2019, 629 subjects were screened and 335 were randomised. The eradication rates of VA-dual and VAC-triple therapies were 84.5% and 89.2% (p=0.203) by intention-to-treat analysis, respectively, and 87.1% and 90.2% (p=0.372) by per-protocol analysis, respectively. VA-dual was non-inferior to VAC-triple in the per-protocol analysis. The eradication rates in strains resistant to clarithromycin for VA-dual were significantly higher than those for VAC-triple (92.3% vs 76.2%; p=0.048). The incidence of adverse events was equal between groups.ConclusionThe 7-day vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin dual therapy provided acceptable H. pylori eradication rates and a similar effect to vonoprazan-based triple therapy in regions with high clarithromycin resistance.Trial registration numberUMIN000034140.

Rifasutenizol (TNP-2198) is a new molecular entity with a synergistic dual mechanism of action under clinical development for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a rifasutenizol-based triple therapy (RTT) versus bismuth plus clarithromycin-based triple therapy (BCTT) for the treatment of H pylori infection in treatment-naive patients. EVEREST-HP was a phase 3, randomised, triple-dummy, double-blind, active-controlled, non-inferiority trial with adaptive design for sample size re-estimation conducted at 40 research hospitals in China. Treatment-naive patients aged 18–65 years, with a positive [13C]urea breath test ([13C]UBT), further confirmed by gastric biopsy and histological examination, were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive RTT (rifasutenizol 400 mg oral capsules, amoxicillin 1 g oral capsules, and rabeprazole 20 mg enteric-coated tables) or BCTT (bismuth potassium citrate 240 mg oral tablets, clarithromycin 500 mg oral tablets, amoxicillin 1 g oral capsules, and rabeprazole 20 mg enteric-coated tablets), all twice a day for 14 days. Randomisation was done centrally by a secure interactive web response system using block sizes of two or four and stratified by study site. RTT was compared against BCTT using a triple-dummy approach to ensure masking. The primary endpoint was H pylori eradication rate based on [13C]UBT 4–6 weeks after the end of treatment in the modified intention-to-treat population, which included all participants who received at least one dose of the study drugs. The eradication rates of RTT and BCTT were compared using a one-sided α value of 0·025 and a non-inferiority margin of –10%. Safety endpoints included investigator assessed treatment-emergent adverse events, the severity and relationship with study drugs, findings from physical examinations, vital signs, laboratory tests, and electrocardiogram. An interim analysis was conducted by an independent data monitoring committee after 50% (350) of patients completed the last [13C]UBT. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05857163. Between May 18, 2023, and Nov 10, 2023, 1267 patients were screened and 700 patients were randomly assigned to receive either RTT (n=353) or BCTT (n=347). 261 (37%) patients were men and 439 (63%) were women. 351 patients in the RTT group and 346 in the BCTT group took at least one dose of the study drugs and were included in the modified intention-to-treat group and the safety set. H pylori was successfully cultured from 579 (83%) of 697 patients. 236 (41%) of 579 patients had H pylori infection resistant to clarithromycin, 395 (68%) to metronidazole, 203 (35%) to levofloxacin, and 47 (8%) to amoxicillin. All H pylori clinical isolates were susceptible to rifasutenizol. In the modified intention-to-treat analysis, the H pylori eradication rate in the RTT group was non-inferior to that in the BCTT group (92·0% [95% CI 88·7 to 94·6; 323 of 351] vs 87·9% [83·9 to 91·1; 304 of 346]; absolute difference 4·2% [95% CI –0·3 to 8·8]). 131 (37%) of 351 patients in the RTT group and 184 (53%) of 346 in the BCTT group had treatment-emergent adverse events. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurring in more than 5% of patients in the RTT group were diarrhoea (in 24 [7%] patients), nausea (22 [6%]), and dizziness (21 [6%]), and in more than 5% of patients in the BCTT group were taste perversion (125 [36%]), nausea (21 [6%]), and diarrhoea (19 [5%]) Most of the treatment-emergent adverse events were mild or moderate in severity. No serious adverse event related to study drugs was reported. As the first novel antimicrobial agent specifically developed for H pylori infection, rifasutenizol represents a promising addition to the existing options for tackling antimicrobial resistance, and RTT represents a promising first-line treatment option for H pylori infection. TenNor Therapeutics. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of vonoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, as a component of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.DesignA randomised, double-blind, multicentre, parallel-group study was conducted to verify the non-inferiority of vonoprazan 20 mg to lansoprazole 30 mg as part of first-line triple therapy (with amoxicillin 750 mg and clarithromycin 200 or 400 mg) in H pylori-positive patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer history. The first 50 patients failing first-line therapy with good compliance also received second-line vonoprazan-based triple therapy (with amoxicillin 750 mg and metronidazole 250 mg) as an open-label treatment.ResultsOf the 650 subjects randomly allocated to either first-line triple therapy, 641 subjects completed first-line therapy and 50 subjects completed second-line therapy. The first-line eradication rate (primary end point) was 92.6% (95% CI 89.2% to 95.2%) with vonoprazan versus 75.9% (95% CI 70.9% to 80.5%) with lansoprazole, with the difference being 16.7% (95% CI 11.2% to 22.1%) in favour of vonoprazan, thus confirming the non-inferiority of vonoprazan (p<0.0001). The second-line eradication rate (secondary end point) was also high (98.0%; 95% CI 89.4% to 99.9%) in those who received second-line therapy (n=50). Both first-line triple therapies were well tolerated with no notable differences. Second-line triple therapy was also well tolerated.ConclusionVonoprazan is effective as part of first-line triple therapy and as part of second-line triple therapy in H pylori-positive patients with a history of gastric or duodenal ulcer.Trial registration numberNCT01505127.

Vonoprazan, a novel and potent acid suppressant, has recently been incorporated into Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens. However, the data on combination of vonoprazan with levofloxacin remains scarce. This study represents one of the first evaluations comparing 7-day and 14-day once-daily regimens containing vonoprazan, levofloxacin, clarithromycin-MR, and bismuth for H. pylori eradication in regions characterized by high clarithromycin and metronidazole resistance. Between March 2022 and December 2023, patients presenting with dyspepsia who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at a tertiary care hospital in Thailand were recruited. Those testing positive for H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to receive either a 7-day or 14-day once-daily regimen comprising vonoprazan 40 mg, clarithromycin-MR 1 g, levofloxacin 500 mg, and bismuth subsalicylate 1,048 mg. CYP3A4 polymorphism testing and antimicrobial susceptibility assessment (using either the Epsilometer test or the GenoType ® HelicoDR assay) were performed. Eradication was confirmed by a negative ¹³C-urea breath test conducted no sooner than four weeks after completing therapy. A total of 312 dyspeptic patients who underwent EGD were screened, and 102 (32.7%) were diagnosed with H. pylori infection. The study enrolled and randomized these patients into two treatment groups: 51 received the 7-day once-daily vonoprazan-based bismuth therapy, and 51 received the 14-day regimen. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, except for a higher prevalence of hypertension in the 7-day regimen group (49% vs. 27.5%, p  = 0.025). The eradication rates for the 7-day regimen were 88.2% (45/51) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and 89.6% (43/48) in the per-protocol (PP) analysis. Similarly, the 14-day regimen achieved eradication rates of 88.2% (45/51) in the ITT analysis and 93.8% (45/48) in the PP analysis. The risk difference for eradication in the PP analysis was 4.17% (95% CI: -6.86 to 15.19, p  = 0.71). Adverse events were comparable between the two regimens, occurring in 35.3% (18/51) of patients in the 7-day regimen and 38.8% (19/51) in the 14-day regimen ( p  = 0.130). The most frequently reported adverse event was black stool (35.3% vs. 38.8%, p  = 0.130). Other adverse events included nausea and vomiting (15.7% vs. 22.5%, p  = 0.742), bitter taste (17.7% vs. 18.4%, p  = 1.000), and dizziness (7.8% vs. 6.1%, p  = 0.113). All adverse events resolved spontaneously without requiring medical intervention, and no serious adverse events were reported. The 14-day regimen demonstrated excellent eradication rate (> 90%) regardless of CYP3A4 polymorphisms. These findings suggest that vonoprazan, levofloxacin, clarithromycin-MR, and bismuth for 14 days is a promising alternative first-line treatment option, particularly in regions with high clarithromycin and metronidazole resistance.

Abstract Rationale Patients with refractory asthma have persistent symptoms despite maximal treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators. The availability of add-on therapies is limited, and effective add-on therapies that target noneosinophilic airway inflammation are needed. Macrolide antibiotics, such as clarithromycin, have in vitro efficacy against IL-8 and neutrophils, key inflammatory mediators in noneosinophilic asthma. Objectives To determine the efficacy of clarithromycin in patients with severe refractory asthma and specifically in a subgroup of patients with noneosinophilic asthma. Methods Subjects with severe refractory asthma (n = 45) were randomized to receive clarithromycin (500 mg twice daily) or placebo for 8 weeks. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome for this study was sputum IL-8 concentration. Other inflammatory outcomes assessed included sputum neutrophil numbers and concentrations of neutrophil elastase and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Clinical outcomes were also assessed, including lung function, airway hyperresponsiveness to hypertonic saline, asthma control, quality of life, and symptoms. Clarithromycin therapy significantly reduced airway concentrations of IL-8 and neutrophil numbers and improved quality-of-life scores compared with placebo. Reductions in neutrophil elastase and MMP-9 concentrations were also observed. These reductions in inflammation were most marked in those with refractory noneosinophilic asthma. Conclusions Clarithromycin therapy can modulate IL-8 levels and neutrophil accumulation and activation in the airways of patients with refractory asthma. Macrolide therapy may be an important additional therapy that could be used to reduce noneosinophilic airway inflammation, particularly neutrophilic inflammation, in asthma. Clinical trial registered with the Australian Clinical Trials Registry www.actr.org.au (No. 12605000318684).

Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans infection that damages the skin and subcutis. It is most prevalent in western and central Africa and Australia. Standard antimicrobial treatment with oral rifampicin 10 mg/kg plus intramuscular streptomycin 15 mg/kg once daily for 8 weeks (RS8) is highly effective, but streptomycin injections are painful and potentially harmful. We aimed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of fully oral rifampicin 10 mg/kg plus clarithromycin 15 mg/kg extended release once daily for 8 weeks (RC8) with that of RS8 for treatment of early Buruli ulcer lesions. We did an open-label, non-inferiority, randomised (1:1 with blocks of six), multicentre, phase 3 clinical trial comparing fully oral RC8 with RS8 in patients with early, limited Buruli ulcer lesions. There were four trial sites in hospitals in Ghana (Agogo, Tepa, Nkawie, Dunkwa) and one in Benin (Pobè). Participants were included if they were aged 5 years or older and had typical Buruli ulcer with no more than one lesion (caterories I and II) no larger than 10 cm in diameter. The trial was open label, and neither the investigators who took measurements of the lesions nor the attending doctors were masked to treatment assignment. The primary clinical endpoint was lesion healing (ie, full epithelialisation or stable scar) without recurrence at 52 weeks after start of antimicrobial therapy. The primary endpoint and safety were assessed in the intention-to-treat population. A sample size of 332 participants was calculated to detect inferiority of RC8 by a margin of 12%. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01659437. Between Jan 1, 2013, and Dec 31, 2017, participants were recruited to the trial. We stopped recruitment after 310 participants. Median age of participants was 14 years (IQR 10–29) and 153 (52%) were female. 297 patients had PCR-confirmed Buruli ulcer; 151 (51%) were assigned to RS8 treatment, and 146 (49%) received oral RC8 treatment. In the RS8 group, lesions healed in 144 (95%, 95% CI 91 to 98) of 151 patients, whereas lesions healed in 140 (96%, 91 to 99) of 146 patients in the RC8 group. The difference in proportion, −0·5% (–5·2 to 4·2), was not significantly greater than zero (p=0·59), showing that RC8 treatment is non-inferior to RS8 treatment for lesion healing at 52 weeks. Treatment-related adverse events were recorded in 20 (13%) patients receiving RS8 and in nine (7%) patients receiving RC8. Most adverse events were grade 1–2, but one (1%) patient receiving RS8 developed serious ototoxicity and ended treatment after 6 weeks. No patients needed surgical resection. Four patients (two in each study group) had skin grafts. Fully oral RC8 regimen was non-inferior to RS8 for treatment of early, limited Buruli ulcer and was associated with fewer adverse events. Therefore, we propose that fully oral RC8 should be the preferred therapy for early, limited lesions of Buruli ulcer. WHO with additional support from MAP International, American Leprosy Missions, Fondation Raoul Follereau France, Buruli ulcer Groningen Foundation, Sanofi-Pasteur, and BuruliVac.

Whether concomitant therapy is superior to bismuth quadruple therapy or 14-day triple therapy for the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection remains poorly understood. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 10-day concomitant therapy, 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy, and 14-day triple therapy in the first-line treatment of H pylori. In this multicentre, open-label, randomised trial, we recruited adult patients (aged >20 years) with H pylori infection from nine medical centres in Taiwan. Patients who had at least two positive tests from the rapid urease test, histology, culture, or serology or who had a single positive 13C-urea breath test for gastric cancer screening were eligible for enrolment. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to either concomitant therapy (lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, clarithromycin 500 mg, and metronidazole 500 mg, all given twice daily) for 10 days; bismuth quadruple therapy (bismuth tripotassium dicitrate 300 mg four times a day, lansoprazole 30 mg twice daily, tetracycline 500 mg four times a day, and metronidazole 500 mg three times a day) for 10 days; or triple therapy (lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, and clarithromycin 500 mg, all given twice daily) for 14 days. A computer-generated permuted block randomisation sequence with a block size of 6 was used for randomisation, and the sequence was concealed in an opaque envelope until the intervention was assigned. Investigators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the eradication frequency of H pylori with first-line therapy assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01906879. Between July 17, 2013, and April 20, 2016, 5454 patients were screened for eligibility. Of these, 1620 patients were randomly assigned in this study. The eradication frequencies were 90·4% (488/540 [95% CI 87·6–92·6]) for 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy, 85·9% (464/540 [82·7–88·6]) for 10-day concomitant therapy, and 83·7% (452/540 [80·4–86·6]) for 14-day triple therapy in the intention-to-treat analysis. 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy was superior to 14-day triple therapy (difference 6·7% [95% CI 2·7–10·7, p=0·001), but not 10-day concomitant therapy. 10-day concomitant therapy was not superior to 14-day triple therapy. The frequency of adverse events was 67% (358/533) in patients treated with 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy, 58% (309/535) in patients treated with 10-day concomitant therapy, and 47% (252/535) in patients treated with 14-day triple therapy. Bismuth quadruple therapy is preferable to 14-day triple therapy in the first-line treatment in the face of rising prevalence of clarithromycin resistance. Concomitant therapy given for 10 days might not be optimum and a longer treatment length should be considered. National Taiwan University Hospital and Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.

A paucity of evidence regarding use of endoscopic sinus surgery and antibiotics in managing chronic rhinosinusitis has contributed to a five-times variation in endoscopic sinus surgery rates, as well as variation in the use of antibiotics. The main aim of the present trial was to compare the clinical effectiveness of endoscopic sinus surgery or 3 months of clarithromycin treatment alongside intranasal medication in adults with chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps. In this pragmatic, three-arm, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 4 trial, participants were recruited from 20 secondary and tertiary care sites in the UK. Adults (aged ≥18 years) with chronic rhinosinusitis remaining symptomatic following appropriate medical therapy (intranasal corticosteroids, saline nasal irrigations, and a short course of antibiotics) were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive endoscopic sinus surgery (within 6 weeks of randomisation if waiting lists allowed) plus intranasal medication, clarithromycin (250 mg twice a day for 2 weeks then 250 mg once a day for 10 weeks) plus intranasal medication, or placebo plus intranasal medication. Intranasal medication comprised intranasal corticosteroids and saline irrigations. Participants were allocated with an automated, web-based secure randomisation system in permuted blocks of varying size (block sizes of three and six), stratified by the presence of polyps and trial site. Participants and site teams were masked to the clarithromycin and placebo allocations, including for outcome assessment. The primary outcome measure was the total score on the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) quality-of-life questionnaire at 6 months after randomisation, with analysis by intention to treat (ITT; available-case basis). Adverse reactions were assessed in the safety population (clarithromycin and placebo), and serious adverse events in the ITT population (all groups). The trial was registered on the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN36962030, and EudraCT, 2018-001100-11, and is complete, with optional long-term follow-up ongoing. Between Nov 1, 2018, and Oct 13, 2023, 514 participants (181 [35%] female and 333 [65%] male), with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (n=410) or chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (n=104), were recruited and randomly assigned to receive endoscopic sinus surgery (n=171), clarithromycin (n=172), or placebo (n=171), all with intranasal medication. SNOT-22 scores at 6 months after randomisation were significantly lower (at the 98·33% confidence level after Bonferroni adjustment) in the endoscopic sinus surgery group than in the clarithromycin group (adjusted mean difference –18·13 [98·33% CI –24·26 to –11·99], p<0·0001) and placebo group (–20·44 [–26·42 to –14·46], p<0·0001). 6-month SNOT-22 scores did not differ significantly between participants randomly assigned to clarithromycin versus placebo (–3·11 [–8·56 to 2·33], p=0·17). Ten serious adverse events occurred in nine participants (two events in two [1%] of 172 participants allocated to clarithromycin, three events in three [2%] of 171 allocated to placebo, and five events in four [2%] of 171 allocated to endoscopic sinus surgery), none of which were fatal. The MACRO trial shows that endoscopic sinus surgery has clinical effectiveness in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, providing significantly improved disease-specific quality of life at 6 months. Conversely, the trial findings do not support routine long-term use of low-dose clarithromycin. Endoscopic sinus surgery should be recommended if intranasal medication alone is unable to achieve symptom control. National Institute for Health and Care Research Programme Grants for Applied Research.

Background and aimsAntimicrobial drug resistance is a major cause of the failure of Helicobacter pylori eradication and is largely responsible for the decline in eradication rate. Quadruple therapy has been suggested as a first-line regimen in areas with clarithromycin resistance rate >15%. This randomised trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a levofloxacin-containing sequential regimen in the eradication of H pylori-infected patients in a geographical area with >15% prevalence of clarithromycin resistance versus a clarithromycin-containing sequential therapy.Methods375 patients who were infected with H pylori and naïve to treatment were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: (1) 5 days omeprazole 20 mg twice daily + amoxicillin 1 g twice daily followed by 5 days omeprazole 20 mg twice daily + clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily + tinidazole 500 mg twice daily; or (2) omeprazole 20 mg twice daily + amoxicillin 1 g twice daily followed by omeprazole 20 mg twice daily + levofloxacin 250 mg twice daily + tinidazole 500 mg twice daily; or (3) omeprazole 20 mg twice daily + amoxicillin 1 g twice daily followed by omeprazole 20 mg twice daily + levofloxacin 500 mg twice daily + tinidazole 500 mg twice daily. Antimicrobial resistance was assessed by the E-test. Efficacy, adverse events and costs were determined for each group.ResultsEradication rates in the intention-to-treat analyses were 80.8% (95% CI, 72.8% to 87.3%) with clarithromycin sequential therapy, 96.0% (95% CI, 90.9% to 98.7%) with levofloxacin-250 sequential therapy, and 96.8% (95% CI, 92.0% to 99.1%) with levofloxacin-500 sequential therapy. No differences in prevalence of antimicrobial resistance or incidence of adverse events were observed between groups. Levofloxacin-250 therapy was cost-saving compared with clarithromycin sequential therapy.ConclusionIn an area with >15% prevalence of clarithromycin resistant H pylori strains, a levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy is more effective, equally safe and cost-saving compared to a clarithromycin-containing sequential therapy.

Helicobacter pylori is associated with benign and malignant diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and increasing antibiotic resistance has made alternative treatments necessary. Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new, single-capsule treatment versus the gold standard for H pylori eradication. We did a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial in 39 sites in Europe, comparing the efficacy and safety of 10 days of quadruple therapy with omeprazole plus a single three-in-one capsule containing bismuth subcitrate potassium, metronidazole, and tetracycline (quadruple therapy) versus 7 days of omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin (standard therapy) in adults with recorded H pylori infection. Patients were randomly assigned treatment according to a predetermined list independently generated by Quintiles Canada (Ville St-Laurent, QC, Canada). Our study was designed as a non-inferiority trial but was powered to detect superiority. Our primary outcome was H pylori eradication, established by two negative 13C urea breath tests at a minimum of 28 and 56 days after the end of treatment. Our assessment for non-inferiority was in the per-protocol population, with subsequent assessment for superiority in the intention-to-treat population (ie, all participants randomly assigned treatment). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00669955. 12 participants were lost to follow-up and 101 were excluded from the per-protocol analysis. In the per-protocol population (n=339), the lower bound of the CI for treatment with quadruple therapy was greater than the pre-established non-inferiority margin of −10% (95% CI 15·1–32·3; p<0·0001). In the intention-to-treat population (n=440), eradication rates were 80% (174 of 218 participants) in the quadruple therapy group versus 55% (123 of 222) in the standard therapy group (p<0·0001). Safety profiles for both treatments were similar; main adverse events were gastrointestinal and CNS disorders. Quadruple therapy should be considered for first-line treatment in view of the rising prevalence of clarithromycin-resistant H pylori, especially since quadruple therapy provides superior eradication with similar safety and tolerability to standard therapy. Axcan Pharma Inc.