BURULICO Drug Trial Study Protocol: RCT SR8/SR4+CR4, GHANA
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The standard for treatment Buruli ulcer disease (BUD) used to be surgery but the WHO now
advises streptomycin (S, 15 mg/kg daily, intramuscularly) and rifampicin (R,10 mg/kg daily)
along with surgery. This preliminary advice was based on observations in 21 patients with
pre-ulcerative lesions of BUD, who were given daily SR treatment for varying periods of time.
In patients treated with SR for at least 4 weeks, M. ulcerans could no longer be cultured
from excised lesions. SR has been introduced without a formal evaluation or comparison with
other treatments have been conducted or published, but the impression is that this treatment
is beneficial and may cure BUD without additional surgical management.
This study protocol evaluated the hypothesis that early, limited lesions of
BUD(pre-ulcerative or ulcerated lesions, ≤ 10 cm maximum diameter), can be healed without
recurrence using antimycobacterial drug therapy, without the need for debridement surgery.
In endemic regions in Ghana, patients will be actively recruited and followed if ≥ 5 years of
age, and with early (i.e., onset < 6 months) BUD.
- consent by patients and / or care givers / legal representatives
- clinical evaluation, and by
- analysis of three 0.3 cm punch biopsies under local anaesthesia.
- disease confirmation: dry reagent-based polymerase chain reaction (DRB-PCR IS2404)
- randomization: either SR for 8 weeks, or 4 weeks of SR followed by R and clarithromycin
(C)
- stratification: ulcerative or pre-ulcerative lesions.
Biopsies processed for histopathology, DRB-PCR-, microscopy, culture, genomic, and
sensitivity tests. Lesions assessed regularly for progression or healing during treatment.
Drug toxicity monitoring included blood cell counts, liver enzymes and renal tests; and ECG
and audiographic tests.
Primary endpoint: healing without recurrence at 12 months follow-up after start of treatment
Secondary endpoint: reduction in lesion surface area and/or clinically assessed improvement
on completion of treatment, averting the need for debridement surgery.
Recurrences biopsied for confirmation, using PCR, histopathology, and culture. Sample size
calculation: 2x74 fully evaluable patients; 80% power to detect a difference of 20 % in
recurrence-free cure 12 months after start of treatment between the two groups (60 versus
80%). A Data Safety and Monitoring Board made interim analysis assessments.