Clinical trial Recruiting at 10 sites Phase 3 Interventional Ages 18 to 70

Evaluating Azithromycin for Chronic Sinusitis

Official title: Evaluation of the Efficacy of 3-month Continuous Extended Treatment With Azithromycin in Idiopathic Purulent Oedematous Sinusitis in Adults: a Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial

Run by Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil · NCT05157685 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is testing if a low-dose antibiotic called azithromycin can help adults with a specific type of chronic sinusitis feel better when other treatments haven't worked.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 3
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 70 Years
SexAll
Enrollment230 (estimated)
SponsorCentre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil
Academic / other
Locations13 sites (Bordeaux and 12 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedNovember 21, 2022
Main results expectedNovember 21, 2027
Study endsNovember 21, 2027
Registry record updatedAugust 29, 2025
Trial IDNCT05157685 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are adults aged 18 to 70 with chronic purulent rhinosinusitis that has persisted despite multiple antibiotic treatments.

Probably not a fit

Patients with chronic non-purulent rhinosinusitis, identified immune deficiencies, or cystic fibrosis are unlikely to benefit from this study.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This clinical trial evaluates the efficacy of azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, in treating idiopathic purulent oedematous sinusitis (POS) in adults. POS is a specific form of chronic rhinosinusitis that significantly affects patients' quality of life, and current treatment options are limited. The study involves a rigorous selection process to ensure participants have chronic rhinosinusitis that meets specific criteria, and it compares the effects of azithromycin against a placebo. The goal is to determine if long-term low-dose macrolides can improve symptoms in patients who have not responded to conventional treatments.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could provide a new effective option for patients suffering from chronic sinusitis who have not benefited from existing therapies.

How similar studies have gone: While the use of macrolides for chronic rhinosinusitis is currently off-label, there have been uncontrolled trials suggesting potential benefits, indicating that this approach may hold promise.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Patient older than 18 years and less than 70 years of age
* Chronic rhinosinusitis (\> 12 weeks of evolution) meeting the definition published in the European Paper Position2012 (1) and corresponding exclusively to the following endoscopic and CT criteria:

  * Nasal endoscopy showing bilateral and diffuse involvement associating edema of the mucosa of the nasal cavities and meatus with the presence of mucopurulent secretions in these areas
  * Nasosinus CT scan showing diffuse and bilateral pansinus opacities involving at least the maxillary sinuses and the anterior and posterior ethmoids
* Persistent intractable purulent rhinosinusitis despite at least 2 antibiotic therapies
* Signed informed consent of the patient
* Membership in a health insurance plan or beneficiary

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnancy or breastfeeding
* PCOS of identified primary cause (identified immune deficiency, cystic fibrosis, HIV)
* Chronic non-purulent rhinosinusitis (nasosinusal polyposis, allergic rhinosinusitis)
* Localized chronic suppurative rhinosinusitis (single sinus, unilateral, frontal or maxillary or sphenoidal)
* Severe hepatic insufficiency (factor V level \< 50%)
* Severe renal insufficiency (stage 4 (GFR \< 30 ml/min/1.73 m2) and/or creatinine \< 40 ml/min)
* Severe heart failure (old age, ischemic heart disease, episode of recurrent cardiac arrest; hypotension, NYHA functional stage III-IV; widened QRS, complex ventricular arrhythmias; hyponatremia (Na \<135mmol/l); stage 4 renal failure (GFR \< 30 ml/min/1.73 m2); severely depressed LVEF (\< 30%)
* Documented moderate pre-existing sensorineural hearing loss with a mean pure tone threshold in the poorer ear in bone conduction \>30 dB across all 3 frequencies (500, 1000 and 2000 Hz) or in only one ear (unilateral deafness).
* Major cognitive impairment or lack of French language skills preventing completion of SNOT-22 and SF-36 questionnaires
* Patient with galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome (rare hereditary diseases)
* Patient with peanut or soy allergy
* Patient allergic to macrolides
* Patients who are intolerant or allergic to any of the excipients of azithromycin or placebo
* Treatment with azithromycin in the previous 3 months
* Long QT on ECG ((\>440ms for male and \>450ms for female) or cardiac arrhythmia or bradycardia (\<60btm).The calculation of the corrected QT should be carried out using the Bazett formula.
* Hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia on blood ionogram
* Confirmed or suspected atypical mycobacteriosis
* Contraindicated drug combinations with macrolides (K-vitamins or drugs containing cisapride, colchicine, ergotamine or dihydroergotamine)
* Cautionary drug combinations (non-inclusion criteria)

  * Atorvastatin (Increased risk of concentration-dependent rhabdomyolysis-type adverse events due to decreased hepatic metabolism of the cholesterol-lowering drug.
  * Ciclosporin (risk of increased ciclosporin blood levels and creatinine levels)
  * Digoxin (increase in digoxemia due to increased absorption of digoxin), Drugs likely to cause torsades de pointes, in particular class IA (e.g. quinidine) and class III (e.g. amiodarone, sotalol) antiarrhythmics, antipsychotics (e.g. phenothiazines, pimozide), tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. citalopram), certain fluoroquinolones (e.g. moxifloxacin, levofloxacin) (increased risk of ventricular rhythm disturbances)
  * Simvastatin (increased risk of rhabdomyolysis-type adverse effects (concentration-dependent), due to decreased hepatic metabolism of the cholesterol-lowering agent)
  * Ivabradine (increased risk of ventricular rhythm disorders),
  * Hypokalemic drugs
  * Bradycardia drugs
* Patients with severe cholestasis
* Patients under guardianship or curatorship
* Patients with hematologic malignancies who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
* History of facial radiotherapy
* History of rhinosinus cancer
* Participation in other category 1 research at the time of inclusion or in the month prior to inclusion

Where it's running

  • Hôpital Henri Mondor
    Créteil, France
    Recruiting
  • CHU Bicêtre, AP-HP
    Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
    Recruiting
  • CHU Lille
    Lille, France
    Recruiting
  • CHU de la Croix Rousse
    Lyon, France
    Recruiting
  • Hospices de Lyon
    Lyon, France
    Recruiting
  • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille Conception
    Marseille, France
    Recruiting
Show 7 more locations
  • CHRU de Nancy
    Nancy, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De Nantes
    Nantes, France
    Recruiting
  • Hôpital Lariboisiere
    Paris, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal
    Créteil, Île-de-France Region, France
    Recruiting
  • CHU Bordeaux
    Bordeaux, France
    Not yet recruiting
  • CHU Cochin
    Paris, France
    Not yet recruiting
  • CHU Toulouse
    Toulouse, France
    Not yet recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

  • Evaluating balloon sinuplasty for maxillary sinusitis

    This study is testing if balloon sinuplasty can help people with chronic or recurrent maxillary sinusitis feel better compared to a fake surgery.

    Recruiting Tampere University Hospital · Tampere · NCT04645511

  • Immune and microbial environment profile in young infants with RSV bronchiolitis

    The study tests the immune and microbiome signatures in infants ≤6 months with RSV-related bronchiolitis, using nasal swabs and blood samples when possible.

    Recruiting at 3 sites Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil · Créteil and 2 other locations · NCT07698769

  • Post-Emergency Antibiotic Optimization for UTI

    In people who come to the emergency department with a suspected urinary tract infection, this study looks at how doctors can adjust antibiotic therapy after urine culture results to use the right antibiotic and reduce overuse.

    Recruiting Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil · Melun and 2 other locations · NCT07559318

  • Diaphragmatic swing by CPAP flow in very preterm babies

    This study tests whether constant-flow CPAP with a nasal mask works as well as variable-flow CPAP with a nasal mask for supporting breathing in preterm babies 32 weeks or earlier gestational age.

    Recruiting Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil · Créteil · NCT07513051

  • Outcomes after emergency gynecology care for pelvic endometriosis or suspected endometriosis

    This project will follow adults who come to a gynecological emergency department with known or suspected endometriosis to see what their outcomes are after emergency care.

    Recruiting Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil · Créteil · NCT07472842

  • Understanding barriers and delays in diagnosing anal cancer

    This study looks at how people with anal cancer experience delays in diagnosis to see what helps or hinders earlier detection.

    Recruiting at 31 sites Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil · Angers and 31 other locations · NCT07455942

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.