Could a lower dose of a common antibiotic be safer and just as effective for a deadly pneumonia?
NCT ID NCT07690410
First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study looks at whether a lower dose of the antibiotic TMP-SMX works as well as the standard dose for treating a serious lung infection called Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in people who do not have HIV. The standard dose often causes side effects in more than half of patients. The trial will follow about 480 adults in hospitals to compare treatment failure rates and side effects between the two dosing strategies, without changing the care doctors normally provide.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, a lower dose of TMP-SMX could become the standard treatment for non-HIV PCP, reducing severe side effects without compromising survival.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a randomized trial, so results may be less definitive. The lower dose might also be less effective in some patients, and side effects remain possible.
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.
- Participants
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About 480 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2029
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.
Who is studied
This study plans to enrol hospitalised patients aged ≥18 years with confirmed non-HIV-related Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) who are receiving trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) as initial therapy. Participants will be recruited from the departments of respiratory medicine, intensive care units, and related clinical wards across 4 participating hospitals in China.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- 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: * Age ≥18 years, * Meet the diagnostic criteria for Non-HIV-associated PCP, * Receiving TMP/SMX as the initial treatment for PCP, * Provide written informed consent to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or breastfeeding women, * History of severe allergy or documented intolerance to TMP/SMX, * TMP/SMX used for PCP prophylaxis rather than treatment, * TMP/SMX treatment duration \<72 hours at the time of screening, * TMP/SMX administered at a supratherapeutic dose (TMP component \>20 mg/kg/day).
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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.