Have you ever heard of azithromycin? It’s an antibiotic. Chances are, if you’ve ever had a bacterial infection, you’ve even taken it. But according to Medical XPress, researchers are currently evaluating azithromycin in another capacity: as a potential preventative treatment for children with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Within the COMBAT CF clinical trial, researchers evaluated 130 children with CF from the time they were born to age 3. The researchers sought to understand whether azithromycin, as compared to a placebo, could reduce CF-related lung inflammation and contribute to better patient outcomes. Findings from the study include:
- Azithromycin was safe and well-tolerated in children, offering an avenue for earlier treatment. Right now, CF modulators are available for children over 4 years old. So researchers believe that azithromycin as a preventative treatment could slow CF progression until the children were old enough to receive modulator treatment.
- Those who received azithromycin were sick less often, required less antibiotic care to treat lung infections, had better respiratory function, and required less hospitalization than those receiving the placebo.
- Altogether, the researchers believe that azithromycin could significantly lower hospital and healthcare costs related to cystic fibrosis in young children.
Interested in learning more? You can find the full study findings published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
What is Azithromycin?
As explained in the introduction, azithromycin is a type of antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections, including pneumonia, bronchitis, sexually transmitted diseases, or ear, lung, throat, or reproductive infections. According to MedlinePlus, azithromycin may also be used to treat Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections. This antibiotic cannot be used to treat viral or fungal infections.
About Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disorder caused by CFTR gene mutations. This gene mutation affects salt movement regulation throughout the body. As a result, those with CF have thick, sticky mucus which accumulates throughout their respiratory and digestive systems. This can prevent the release of digestive enzymes, cause breathing problems, and even damage the lungs. CF is most common in Caucasians, with 1 in every 2,500-3,500 newborns being affected. Symptoms can include:
- Shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing
- Persistent coughing and/or wheezing
- Exercise intolerance
- Nasal polyps
- Very salty-tasting skin
- Frequent lung infections
- Difficulty gaining weight
- Male infertility
- Constipation
- Clubbed fingers and toes
- Intestinal blockages (in infants)
