Two prednisolone tapering plans for people with stable sarcoidosis
Official title: Corticosteroid Tapering in Sarcoidosis
Run by Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust · NCT07498842 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will try two different prednisolone tapering plans to see if people with stable sarcoidosis taking 5–10 mg/day can safely cut their dose by at least half.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | infliximab |
| Locations | 1 site (London) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 19, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 28, 2027 |
| Study ends | October 18, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | March 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07498842 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (≥18) with confirmed sarcoidosis who have been clinically stable for >6 months and are taking prednisolone 5–10 mg/day for >6 months, and who do not have cardiac/neurosarcoidosis, advanced pulmonary disease, active flare, adrenal insufficiency, pregnancy/breastfeeding, or prior/current infliximab use.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with cardiac or neurosarcoidosis, advanced pulmonary sarcoidosis, recent flares or dose escalation, known adrenal insufficiency, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or prior/current infliximab are excluded and are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized study at the Royal Brompton Hospital enrolls adults with confirmed, clinically stable sarcoidosis who have been on prednisolone 5–10 mg/day for more than six months. Participants are assigned to a standard taper (slower reductions with step-downs to 1 mg changes over weeks) or a faster taper (more frequent 1 mg reductions with phone support every two weeks). Both arms measure serum cortisol at 3 mg/day to guide further tapering and monitor for adrenal insufficiency or flare. The primary aim is to determine whether participants can reduce prednisolone to at least 50% of their baseline dose without clinical deterioration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could allow patients to lower steroid exposure and reduce long-term side effects such as diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure, and bone loss.
How similar studies have gone: Randomized comparisons of tapering speed in sarcoidosis are limited, so this pragmatic head-to-head comparison is relatively novel though steroid tapering is a common clinical practice.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed sarcoidosis by: (a) Histological diagnosis and/or (b) Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) diagnosis * Prednisolone 5-10mg/day for \> 6 months * Clinically stable disease for \> 6 months (no flares or dose escalation) * On or off second-line agent * \> 18 years old * Written informed consent provided Exclusion Criteria: * Cardiac or neurosarcoidosis * Advanced pulmonary sarcoidosis defined as either: (a) composite physiological index (CPI) \> 40 (b) pulmonary hypertension * Active sarcoidosis flare or dose escalation in the past 6 months * Known adrenal insufficiency * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Previous or current infliximab use
Where it's running
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Royal Brompton Hospital
London, United Kingdom Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Vasileios Kouranos — Interstitial Lung Disease Department, Royal Brompton Hospital
- Study coordinator: Vasileios Kouranos
- Email: vasileios.kouranos@nhs.net
- Phone: +44(0) 207 352 8121
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.