Azithromycin as extra treatment for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition
Official title: Azithromycin as adjunctive treatment for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition: the AMOUR trial
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11462170 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares giving azithromycin, amoxicillin, or a placebo to young children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition to see which helps them gain weight and recover.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | December 8, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $146,513 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD111532-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11462170 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young children in the trial area who have uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition and meet the outpatient treatment criteria would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children with complicated SAM who need inpatient medical care, or those with other serious illnesses, would not be expected to benefit from this outpatient-focused trial.
What this research studies
If your child has uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition, they could be randomly assigned to receive a single course of azithromycin, amoxicillin, or a placebo and then followed over time. Researchers will track weight gain, nutritional recovery, and changes in the gut microbiome. The work builds on prior findings that mass azithromycin reduced child mortality in parts of sub‑Saharan Africa and on a pilot showing rapid enrollment is possible. The goal is to find whether azithromycin helps children with SAM recover better than amoxicillin or no antibiotic.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the trial could identify a more effective antibiotic approach that improves recovery and survival for children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition.
How similar studies have gone: Previous randomized trials of amoxicillin for uncomplicated SAM gave mixed results, while separate large programs of mass azithromycin have reduced child mortality, so using azithromycin for SAM is promising but not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oldenburg, Catherine Elizabeth — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Oldenburg, Catherine Elizabeth
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Azithromycin added to standard care for kids with severe malnutrition in Africa
This project tests whether giving azithromycin as an extra antibiotic to young children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition improves weight gain and recovery compared with amoxicillin or placebo.
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Gut-Liver-Bone clues to growth problems in malnourished children
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Azithromycin adjunct in kids with severe malnutrition in Africa
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How caregiver mental health affects recovery from severe malnutrition in young children
This project will track caregivers' depression and anxiety while their children get treatment for severe acute malnutrition to learn how caregiver mental health relates to child recovery and relapse.
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Preventing Growth Problems in Poor Children by Treating Small Intestine Bacteria
A phase II effort in urban Bangladesh tests a treatment plan to stop growth failure and malnutrition in young children by addressing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.