Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36782325›Full record

ArticleInfectious agents and cancer2023

Prophylactic treatment with oral azithromycin in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic (OnCoVID): a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial.

Maximilian J Mair, Agnieszka Maj-Hes, Alina Nussbaumer-Pröll, Rainer Puhr, Agnieszka Christenheit, Marlene Troch, Hannah C Puhr, Angelika M Starzer, Ariane Steindl, Sabine Eberl and 10 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infectious agents and cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04369365 (A Single-blinded, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Phase II Trial of Prophylactic Treatment With Oral Azithromycin Versus Placebo in Cancer Patients Undergoing Antineoplastic Treatment During the Corona Virus Disease 19), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 35% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04369365 phase2completednot on this map

A Single-blinded, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Phase II Trial of Prophylactic Treatment With Oral Azithromycin Versus Placebo in Cancer Patients Undergoing Antineoplastic Treatment During the Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Pandemic

TypeinterventionalSponsorProf. Dr. Matthias PreusserRan2020 to 2021Enrolled74ConditionsCOVIDArmsAzithromycin 500 milligram (mg) oral Tablet, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Maximilian J Mair *Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Agnieszka Maj-Hes *Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Alina Nussbaumer-PröllDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Rainer PuhrDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Agnieszka ChristenheitDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Marlene TrochDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Hannah C PuhrDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Angelika M StarzerDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Ariane SteindlDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Sabine EberlDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Helmuth HaslacherDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Thomas PerkmannDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Christoph MinichsdorferDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Gerald W PragerDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Wolfgang W LammDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Anna S BerghoffDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Barbara KiesewetterDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Markus ZeitlingerDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Matthias PreusserDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Markus RadererDepartment of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. markus.raderer@meduniwien.ac.at.
Medical University of Vienna · AT

Funding

Medizinische Universität Wien research budget
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with cancer are at high risk for severe courses of COVID-19. Based on (pre-)clinical data suggesting a potential protective effect due to the immunomodulating properties of azithromycin, we have initiated a prospective randomized trial.

methodsThis randomized, single-center, single-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial included adult patients with cancer undergoing systemic treatment. Patients were 1:1 randomized to oral azithromycin (1500 mg once weekly for 8 weeks) or placebo. The primary endpoint was the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 infections 12 weeks after treatment initiation.

resultsIn total, 523 patients were screened, 68 patients were randomized, and 63 patients received at least one dose of the study drug. Due to low acceptance and a lack of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the study cohort, the study was prematurely closed. With no reported grade III-IV possibly treatment-related adverse events, azithromycin was generally well tolerated. Overall survival (OS) rates after 12 months were 83.5% and 70.3% in the azithromycin and placebo group, respectively (p = 0.37). Non-SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred in 4/32 (12.5%) in the azithromycin and 3/31 (9.7%) in the placebo group (p = 1). No emergence of azithromycin-resistant S. aureus strains could be observed. According to treatment group, longitudinal alterations in systemic inflammatory parameters were detected for neutrophil/lymphocyte and leukocyte/lymphocyte ratios.

conclusionAlthough efficacy could not be assessed due to premature closure and low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, azithromycin was associated with a favorable side effect profile in patients with cancer. As other prophylactic treatments are limited, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remains a high priority in oncological patients. CLINICALTRIALS: gov registration number and date (dd/mm/yyyy): NCT04369365, 30/04/2020.

Indexed as

AzithromycinCOVID-19OncologyProphylactic treatmentSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID36782325
PMCPMC9924847
OpenAlexW4320483869

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.