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PneumocystisPhase 4SPIRIT-ALTNCT07357103

Positioning Second-line Therapies for Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia (PCP Alternatives)

A Phase 4 study testing Clindamycin + primaquine, Pentamidine and Atovaquone in people with Pneumocystis and Pneumocystis Infection, run by McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The usual first treatment for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is an antibiotic called trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). However, some patients cannot take this medication because of allergies, side effects, or lack of response. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Clindamycin + primaquine, Pentamidine and Atovaquone
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
416 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Mar 2026to Sep 2029
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Immunocompromised patients (including but not limited to HIV, solid organ transplant, solid tumors, hematological transplant and malignancies, systemic diseases, chemotherapy, long term corticosteroid use, and immunosuppressive therapies, as well as primary immunodeficiencies) in an emergency department, cliinic, or hospital
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Proven or probable Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia
  • Inability to receive trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole due to contraindication, intolerance, toxicity, or treatment failure
  • Immunocompromised status
  • Ability to provide informed consent (or per local regulations)
  • While participants may be enrolled in multiple domains of the SPIRIT-PCP Platform over time (if they are eligible and a domain is active), they may only be enrolled to single question once (e.g., they can be part PCP Alternatives and an eventual secondary prophylaxis domain; however, if they have a recurrence, they cannot be included in PCP Alternatives again).

Who cannot join

  • The Platform will exclude: patients where we are unable to obtain informed consent, where patients or their proxy have declined to consent, where the treating team has declined participation, where follow up cannot be reliably obtained (e.g., lack of means of communication, patient non-resident of jurisdiction), where treatment with antibiotics is not in keeping with a patient's advanced care directives, and where death is deemed imminent (<48h) as determined by the treating team and site investigator.
  • Clinical:
  • Previous severe adverse reaction or hypersensitivity to clindamycin, primaquine, or atovaquone (mild-moderate PCP) or to clindamycin, primaquine, or pentamidine (severe PCP);
  • More than 7 calendar days of any therapy for PCP (no more than 4 can involve a study drug).
  • Known pregnancy or breastfeeding (pregnancy test will be offered)
  • Drug specific exclusion criteria:
Show all 21Show fewer
  • For clindamycin-primaquine:
  • Known G6PD deficiency OR family history of G6PD deficiency without excluding by testing*
  • Known diagnosis of porphyria
  • Concomitant use of methotrexate or cyclophosphamide which cannot be held *G6PD deficiency is an X-linked recessive genetic disease. Female patients without a family history are very unlikely to have this disease and so therapy can start while waiting for the test in the absence of a family history. Male patients should wait for test results prior to receiving primaquine even if they do not have a family history. For those without G6PD testing at diagnosis, it is a reasonable standard of care to order testing.
  • For pentamidine:
  • Absence of adequate intravenous access as determined by treating team and site investigator. In the event of loss of IV, up to 2 consecutive doses can be given intramuscularly if the patient is not systemically anticoagulated and does not have a coagulopathy.
  • Hypotension defined as systolic blood pressure below 90mmHg without pharmacologic support
  • Personal history of Torsade de Pointes or presence of a corrected QTc of greater than 490ms on ECG on date of enrollment
  • For atovaquone:
  • Receipt of PCP Prophylaxis (≥3 doses per week) for ≥ 4 weeks with atovaquone
  • inability to tolerate atovaquone with a meal or enteral feeding (e.g., prolonged NPO status is an exclusion as atovaquone must be taken with food for proper absorption)
  • Concurrent use of rifampin, rifabutin, or tetracycline (that cannot be stopped)
  • Reduced gastric absorption (patient must not have a medical condition which the treating team and/or site investigator believes will interfere with atovaquone absorption, e.g., total gastrectomy)
  • Administrative:
  • 1. Trial site not participating in PCP Alternatives branch of the initial therapy domain

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

About this study

Official title: Positioning Second-line Therapies for Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia (PCP Alternatives) [A Branch of the Initial Treatment Domain of the SPIRIT-PCP Platform]

The usual first treatment for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is an antibiotic called trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). However, some patients cannot take this medication because of allergies, side effects, or lack of response.

This study asks the question:

When TMP-SMX cannot be used, which alternative treatment for PCP provides the best balance of effectiveness and safety?

Read the detailed description

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a serious lung infection that affects people with weakened immune systems (e.g., patients with cancer, organ transplants, autoimmune diseases, or HIV). Without timely treatment, PCP can lead to respiratory failure and death.

TMP-SMX is the standard first-line treatment, but 20-30% of patients cannot receive the treatment or cannot tolerate it due to allergic reactions, kidney problems, low blood counts, drug interactions, or treatment failure. In these situations, doctors use alternative medications such as clindamycin with primaquine, pentamidine, or atovaquone.

Although these alternative treatments are widely used, there is limited modern research directly comparing them. As a result, treatment choices vary between hospitals and physicians.

The main objective of this study is to determine which alternative treatment works best for patients with PCP who cannot receive TMP-SMX. Eligible participants in the PCP alternatives therapy are enrolled and randomized centrally 1:1 in the MUHC Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) system. The primary outcome is a Hierarchical composite Win Ratio Outcome at day 30: death; new extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), new invasive mechanical ventilation; severe (CTCAE grade 4) adverse drug event; and length of stay in hospital (amongst survivors). Secondary endpoints include individual components of the composite outcome, and tertiary endpoints include quality of life and longer-term outcomes through day 180.

Being tested
Clindamycin + primaquine, Pentamidine, Atovaquone
Keywords
PCP, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, PCP Alternatives, Clindamycin, Pentamidine, Primaquine, Atovaquone, HIV, Non-HIV, Immunocompromised host, Randomized Control Trial
Medical subject headings
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis, Pneumocystis Infections, Infections, Pneumonia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Clindamycin + primaquineDrug

    Participants randomized to this intervention will receive clindamycin in combination with primaquine as second-line therapy for the treatment of PCP.

    This regimen may be used for participants with Severe PCP or mild to moderate PCP in acccordance with protocol-defined disease severity and standard clinical practice.

  • PentamidineDrug

    Participants randomized to this intervention will receive pentamidine, administered intravenously, as second-line therapy for the treatment of PCP in patients with severe disease who are unable to tolerate or have contraindications to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX)

  • AtovaquoneDrug

    Participants randomized to. this intervention will receive atovaquone, administered orally, as second-line therapy for the treatment of PCP in participants with mild to moderate disease who are unable to tolerate or have contraindications to trimethoprim-sulfamethozaxole (TMP/SMX).

Study groups in NCT07357103
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Severe PCP-Clindamycin+primaquineExperimentalParticipants with severe PCP will be randomized to receive clindamycin in combination with primaquine as second-line therapy due to intolerance of or contraindications to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Receives: Drug: Clindamycin + primaquine
Severe PCP-Intravenous PentamidineExperimentalParticipants with severe PCP will be randomized to receive intravenous pentamidine as second-line therapy due to intolerance of or contraindications to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Receives: Drug: Pentamidine
Mild to Moderate PCP- Clindamycin+primaquineExperimentalParticipants with mild to moderate PCP will be randomized to receive clindamycin in combination with primaquine as second-line therapy due to intolerance of or contraindications to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Receives: Drug: Clindamycin + primaquine
Mild to moderate PCP- AtovaquoneExperimentalParticipants with mild to moderate PCP will be randomized to receive atovaquone as second-line therapy due to intolerance of or contraindications to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Receives: Drug: Atovaquone

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Hierarchical composite outcome

    Hierarchical composite of Win Ratio at day 30:

    • death;
    • new extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO),
    • new invasive mechanical ventilation;
    • severe (CTCAE grade 4) adverse drug event (dermatologic, nephrologic, hematologic, neurologic, and/or endocrinologic) considered at least probable (by Leape and Bates criteria);
    • new non-invasive ventilation;
    • change of therapy (i.e., dose or agent) due to presumed treatment failure or probable adverse drug reaction (by Leape and Bates criteria); and
    • length of stay in hospital (amongst survivors)

    Measured: Day 30

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Proportion of patients that die (death)

    Mortality at day 30

    Measured: Day 30

  2. Proportion of patients with a need for new extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO),

    New initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during hospitalization following initiation of assigned PCP treatment strategy.

    Measured: Day 30

  3. Proportion of patients requiring new Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

    Initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation via endotracheal intubation during hospitalization following initiation of the assigned PCP treatment strategy.

    Measured: Day 30

  4. Proportion of patients with severe (CTCAE grade 4) adverse drug event

    Proportion of patients with occurence of severe (CTCAE grade 4) adverse drug event (dermatologic, nephrologic, hematologic, neurologic, and/or endocrinologic) considered at least probable (by Leape and Bates criteria).

    Measured: Day 30

  5. Proportion of patients with need for new non-invasive ventilation;

    initiation of non-invasive ventilation (including continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP] or bilevel positive airway pressure [BiPAP] during hospitalization following initiation of the assigned PCP treatment strategy.

    Measured: Day 30

  6. Proportion of patients requiring escalation or change of PCP -directed therapy

    Proportion of patients with escalation or change of PCP -directed therapy due to inadequate clinical response, disease progression, or treatment-limiting toxicity during the treatment or follow-up period.

    Measured: Day 30

  7. Median length of stay in hospital amongst survivors

    Length of hospital stay, measured in days from hospital admission to discharge among participants who survive to hospital discharge.

    Measured: Day 30

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Jan 2026
  2. Study startMar 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionMar 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completionSep 2029 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
416 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07357103
Sponsor's protocol ID
2026-12268
Other IDs
527077
Acronym
SPIRIT-ALT
Status last verified
Dec 2025
First submitted
27 Dec 2025
Last updated
21 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Individual anonymized patient data will be shared for one year, released one year following the publication of the primary PCP Alternatives Manuscript. Data will be accessible through reasonable request to Emily McDonald at emily.mcdonald@mcgill.ca and with an inter-institutional agreement in place.

Publications

  • Del Corpo O, Butler-Laporte G, Sheppard DC, Cheng MP, McDonald EG, Lee TC. Diagnostic accuracy of serum (1-3)-beta-D-glucan for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020 Sep;26(9):1137-1143. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.05.024. Epub 2020 May 30.

    PubMed 32479781
  • McDonald EG, Afshar A, Assiri B, Boyles T, Hsu JM, Khuong N, Prosty C, So M, Sohani ZN, Butler-Laporte G, Lee TC. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in people living with HIV: a review. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2024 Mar 14;37(1):e0010122. doi: 10.1128/cmr.00101-22. Epub 2024 Jan 18.

    PubMed 38235979
  • McDonald EG, Butler-Laporte G, Del Corpo O, Hsu JM, Lawandi A, Senecal J, Sohani ZN, Cheng MP, Lee TC. On the Treatment of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia: Current Practice Based on Outdated Evidence. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Oct 29;8(12):ofab545. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab545. eCollection 2021 Dec.

    PubMed 34988242

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Clindamycin + primaquine, Pentamidine and Atovaquone in people with Pneumocystis and Pneumocystis Infection, run by McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 21 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Babykumari Chitramuthu, PhD (15149341934 ext. 23730, babykumari.chitramuthu@muhc.mcgill.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Hierarchical composite outcome (time frame: Day 30). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07357103, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Jan 2026.

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