A Phase 3 interventional study of BPG and Doxycycline in Syphilis, sponsored by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris. Completed at 7 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-11-20.
Sponsored by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
According to European and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the recommended treatment for uncomplicated early syphilis in adults (i.e. primary, secondary and early latent) is a single intramuscular injection of 2.4 million units of benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG). Recent reviews have also recommended BPG as the first-line treatment of early syphilis, reporting a success rate of more than 90% over a large panel of studies. This form of the drug provides weeks of treponemicidal levels of penicillin in the blood, but does not efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier.
However, despite the use of BPG for almost 70 years and its status as the gold standard treatment for early syphilis, the need to administer this antibiotic parenterally has led to the use of second-line oral antibiotics, including firstgeneration macrolides, and then second-generation macrolides, such as azithromycin. Several African studies have shown 1 g azithromycin bid treatment for one day to be effective against early syphilis, but most authors agree that azithromycin should not generally be used as resistance to this macrolide is highly prevalent in Western countries. Moreover, a recent study by our group showed that more than 80% of the treponemal strains isolated in France harbor the mutation conferring resistance to azithromycin. The use of this alternative would, therefore, be highly unlikely to be effective in France. Tetracycline antibiotics have also been proposed as an alternative in patients with a contraindication for BPG or other forms of penicillin. Doxycycline, at a dose of 100 mg orally twice daily for 14 days, has been endorsed as a preferred alternative treatment, but few data are available concerning its efficacy. This issue is crucial, for two main reasons: there has been a recrudescence of early syphilis in most western countries over the last 20 years, increasing the need for BPG, and two periods of BPG shortage were experienced in 2013 and 2017, leading to the use of alternative treatments due to the temporary unavailability of BPG or its limitation to cases in which no other treatment was possible. Data for the manufacturing and distribution of antibiotics are not publicly available, but reports of limited availability, shortages, and price increases for old antibiotics suggest that the current system is too fragile to provide what should be a given in modern medicine: access to effective treatment for common and potentially severe bacterial infections. The recurrence of BPG shortages over the last five years has created an urgent need to demonstrate that doxycycline is safe, or at least as safe as BPG, for treating early syphilis. The investigators hypothesize that the recommended doxycycline regimen is not inferior to BPG and plan to test this hypothesis in a randomized clinical trial.
126 studies on the registry are indexed under Syphilis; 34 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 200 is below the median of 354 across 85 interventional studies indexed under Syphilis.
Browse Syphilis studies →Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris is the lead sponsor of 3,592 studies on the registry; 1,033 are open to participants now.
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Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Excipients
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
BPG injections will be performed at the participating center
Drug: BPG · Drug: Doxycycline
Dispensing of Doxycycline 100 mg is carried out at one time at V0 - Inclusion visit.
Drug: BPG · Drug: Doxycycline
intramuscular injection of 2.4 million units
Oral: at a dose of 100 mg bid for 14 days
Demonstrate, with a high level of evidence, that doxycycline, administered orally at a dose of 100 mg bid for 14 days, is non-inferior to a single intramuscular injection of 2.4 million IU BPG for the treatment of early syphilis
Assessed on the basis of a four-fold decrease in titer in the non-treponemal assay (VDRL or RPR) at month 6 (commonly used to define cure in real-life settings) or a subsequent negative result in the non-treponemal test if the original test gave a results of 1/2 at inclusion.
Time frame: 6 months
Evaluate tolerance to the two regimens in terms of severe adverse events (SAEs)
SAEs will be reported to the study sponsor * Photosentive reactions will be classified as minor, moderate, severe or very severe * Immediate hypersensitivity reaction will be classified as urticarial, angioedema or anaphylactic shock Jarisch-Herxeimer reactions will be evaluated at visit 1 (14 days ± 2 days)
Time frame: 6 months
Evaluate adherence to the doxycycline regimen
Adherence to doxycycline treatment will be evaluated on the basis of: * A tablet count at visit 1 (14 days ± 2 days) * The noting of tablet intake in the diary for the 14 days of the treatment period
Time frame: 6 months
Evaluate the impact of the two regimens on other STDs at month 6
* PCR for CT, MG and NG will be performed systematically at month 6 on urine, or specimens from the throat or anus, depending on the sexual risk factors of the subject * HIV, hepatitis B serology, hepatitis C serology
Time frame: 6 months
demonstrate that doxycycline is non-inferior to a single intramuscular injection of BPG in titer in the non-treponemal assay (VDRL or RPR)
Response will be defined as a four-fold decrease (2 dilutions) in titer in the non-treponemal assay (VDRL or RPR) at month 6 relative to the assay performed before treatment. The two assays (before treatment and at month 6) should be performed in the same laboratory.
Time frame: 3 months
Plan to share: No
Ran from Dec 2021 to primary completion in Jul 2025, 43 months.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Doxycycline
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