Can a pill replace IV drips for a hidden bone infection?
NCT ID NCT07779629
First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether two oral antibiotic combinations—doxycycline with levofloxacin or moxifloxacin—can treat brucellosis as effectively as the standard doxycycline-rifampicin regimen. Brucellosis is a bacterial infection from animals that can cause fever and joint pain, and sometimes spreads to bones. The study includes 350 adults with either uncomplicated brucellosis or the more severe osteoarticular form, comparing cure rates, recurrence, and side effects over several months. If the new regimens work, they could offer a more convenient, rifampin-sparing option and reduce reliance on long-term IV therapy.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Fluoroquinolone-based antibiotic regimens (doxycycline plus levofloxacin or moxifloxacin) compared to standard doxycycline plus rifampicin
- What this could lead to
- If successful, these oral regimens could offer a simpler, rifampin-sparing treatment for brucellosis, reducing antibiotic resistance and the need for long-term IV therapy.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is early and non-inferiority design, meaning it may only show similar efficacy, not superiority. Fluoroquinolones carry risks like tendon damage and liver issues, and results may not generalize beyond the study population.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 350 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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16 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria:1. The diagnostic basis for confirmed cases of brucellosis is the "Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Brucellosis" published by the Editorial Board of the Chinese Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2017 and the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Brucellosis (2023 Edition)". 1. There is an epidemiological history, such as a history of contact with suspected or confirmed animals, patients, contaminated animal products, or cultures; living in an endemic area of brucellosis; or having a close relationship with the production, use, and research of vaccines. 2. At the same time, there are the following relevant clinical manifestations: fever, hyperhidrosis, joint pain, headache, fatigue, anorexia, myalgia, weight loss, arthritis, spondylitis, meningitis, or focal organ involvement such as endocarditis, hepatosplenomegaly, orchitis, or epididymitis. 3. In the serological screening, the Rose Bengal plate agglutination test is positive. For the tube agglutination test (SAT), the titer is 1:100 or higher with significant agglutination, or if the course of the disease is more than one year, the titer is 1:50 with significant agglutination or higher; or if there is a history of brucellosis vaccination within half a year, the titer reaches 1:100 with significant agglutination or higher. Accompanied by (or) positive culture of Brucella in the patient's blood, body fluids, or tissues. Or positive NGS detection of Brucella. 2\. On the basis of the above - mentioned diagnosis of brucellosis, spondylitis and sacroiliitis are also present. Exclusion Criteria:1. Those with comorbid tuberculosis, severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction, advanced tumors, central nervous system diseases (such as a history of epilepsy), or other systemic diseases; 2. Those with comorbid neurological or mental disorders who are unable or unwilling to cooperate; 3. Pregnant or lactating women, or those with a recent plan to have children; 4. Patients with a history of using glucocorticoids, immunomodulators, anti - tuberculosis drugs, etc. within the past 3 months; 5. Patients with missing important information or abnormal mental states.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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