In continuation of my update on azithromycin...
In one of the most tightly controlled trials ever conducted of drugs used to treat sexually transmitted infections, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have confirmed that azithromycin remains effective in the treatment of urogenital chlamydia.
In a study published Dec. 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the research team compared two of the most commonly used medications for urogenital chlamydia — a single dose of azithromycin versus doxycycline given twice daily for seven days. Azithromycin had a cure rate of 97 percent, against a 100 percent cure rate for doxycycline.
"Recent studies have raised concerns over the efficacy of azithromycin, and there has not been a definitive, well-controlled randomized clinical trial of its effectiveness," said William M. Geisler, M.D., professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the UAB Department of Medicine and principal investigator of the study. "For physicians, knowing whether azithromycin is an effective treatment option is important because patient adherence to therapy with doxycycline can be an issue. Azithromycin requires only one dose, while doxycycline requires patients to take multiple pills over seven days.
Studies have shown that patients are much more likely to be adherent to therapy when taking a single dose compared to multiple doses over time. Failure to take all of a prescribed medicine can allow the condition being treated to persist.
Geisler's team partnered with researchers at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. They enrolled 567 male and female subjects ages 12-21 with chlamydia residing in long-term, gender-segregated youth correctional facilities in Los Angeles. Half were given azithromycin and half doxycycline.
