Clearance of Asymptomatic Pharyngeal Carriage of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae With or Without Ceftriaxone Treatment: Randomized Non-inferiority Study

Clearance of Asymptomatic Pharyngeal Carriage of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae With or Without Ceftriaxone Treatment: Randomized Non-inferiority Study

Since the use of antibiotics, Neisseria Gonorrhoeae (NG) has acquired progressive resistance to penicillins, sulfonamides, tetracyclines and quinolones. The oropharynx is recognized as an important site for DNA exchange between NG and other commensal Neisseria, allowing NG to acquire new antimicrobial resistance. Despite the worrying data on the emergence of resistant NG, the recommendations remain to systematically treat these infections with ceftriaxone, including asymptomatic pharyngeal localizations. The objective of our study is to evaluate a ceftriaxone sparing strategy in order to limit the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the clearance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 3 months after the diagnosis of asymptomatic pharyngeal carriage documented on nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

Non-inferiority, multicenter, prospective, randomized open-label study, in two parallel arms, comparing the pharyngeal clearance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) at 3 months with or without treatment with ceftriaxone.

Experimental group: Absence of antibiotic treatment for at most 3 months after screening for asymptomatic NG pharyngeal infection (treatment if onset of symptoms related to Sexually Transmitted Infection or positive Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at 3 months)

Control group: Ceftriaxone 1000 mg by parenteral intramuscular route, in a single dose, according to the national recommendations in force, to be repeated if pharyngeal Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) again positive for NG during follow-up.

Patients (n=154):

Patient inclusion criteria :

• Adult patient (age ≥ 18 years old)

• Patient consulting for a pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) and meeting the following criteria :

  • Positive sample for NAAT by PCR in the pharynx for Neisseria gonorrhoeae dating back a maximum of 7 days (the date of the sample and those of inclusion will be compared) and
  • asymptomatic patient

• Absence of symptoms of other bacterial STIs or other asymptomatic bacterial STIs confirmed on the systematic screening assessment carried out within 7 days before inclusion

• Patient's agreement to use protection or abstinence from all oral sex for 3 months follow-up (experimental group) or for 7 days (control group)

• For men whose female partner(s) are of childbearing age and for women of childbearing age: use of effective contraception (failure rate less than 1% per year) throughout research

• Patient benefiting from a social health security scheme

• Patient having signed a free and informed consent

Patients non-inclusion criteria :

• Minor patient
• Symptomatic patient in the pharynx
• Presence of symptoms of another bacterial STI or of an asymptomatic bacterial STI confirmed on the screening report carried out within 7 days before inclusion
• Antibiotic treatment that may be active on Neisseria gonorrhoeae (C3G, Fluoroquinolones, Macrolides, Cyclins, Aminosides, Penicillins) within 14 days before inclusion
• Hypersensitivity to ceftriaxone, other cephalosporins or to any of the excipients
• History of severe hypersensitivity (e.g. anaphylactic reaction) to another class of antibacterial agents of the beta-lactam family (penicillins, monobactams and carbapenems).
• Contraindication to ceftriaxone
• Contraindication to intramuscular injections
• Person under legal protection, under guardianship or curatorship, person deprived of liberty, under safeguard of justice, subject to psychiatric care, under duress, admitted to a health or social establishment for purposes other than those of research
• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• Lack of social health insurance
• Patient included in another interventional study

Partners (n=100) :

Partner Inclusion Criteria :

• Sexual contact of the index case (genito-anal or genito-vaginal, oro-genital or oro-anal or oro-oral relations) in the month preceding the inclusion of the index case
• Adult patient (age ≥ 18 years old)
• Patient benefiting from a social health security scheme
• Patient having signed a free and informed consent

Partner non-inclusion Criteria:

• Minor patient
• Person under legal protection, under guardianship or curatorship, person deprived of liberty, under safeguard of justice, subject to psychiatric care, under duress, admitted to a health or social establishment for purposes other than those of research
• Patient included in another interventional study
• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman