Investigation of Rifampin to Reduce Pedal Amputations for Osteomyelitis in Diabetics

Completed · Phase 4 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Osteomyelitis, Diabetes, Amputation

In brief

The purpose of this research study is to determine if rifampin, an antibiotic (a medicine that treats infections), is effective in treating osteomyelitis (infection of the bone) of the foot in diabetic patients. Despite use of powerful antibiotics prescribed over a long period of time, many diabetic patients remain at a high risk for needing an amputation of part of the foot or lower leg because the osteomyelitis is not cured. Some small research studies have shown that addition of rifampin to other antibiotics is effective in treating osteomyelitis in both diabetics and non-diabetics. However, because few diabetics with osteomyelitis have been studied, there is no definite proof that it is better than the usual treatments for diabetic patients. If this study finds that adding rifampin to the usual antibiotics prescribed for osteomyelitis reduces the risk for amputations, doctors will be able to more effectively treat many Veteran patients with this serious infection. Improving treatment outcomes is an important healthcare goal of the VA.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03012529

Run by

VA Office of Research and Development

People needed

843

Starts

2018-01-22

Expected to finish

2025-11-05

Last updated by the study team

2026-04-20

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 89. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 18 and 89 years
• Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, either by: 1) use of oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin at the time of enrollment; 2) a hemoglobin A1c (HgA1c) level within the past 90 days > 6.5; or 3) a medical record diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by a clinician on two or more occasions in the previous 10 years
• Definite or probable osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot, as defined by the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (Table 1). Criteria must be present at some point within 90 days prior to enrollment.
• All planned debridement has been completed prior to randomization.
• A course of backbone antimicrobial therapy has been selected.

You may not qualify if…

• Patient unable to receive enteral medication.
• Patient is allergic to or intolerant of rifampin.
• Patient is taking a drug that has interactions with rifampin that would require either stoppage, substitution or an empiric dose modification that may place the patient at medical risk.
• Within 30 days of enrollment, patient is taking immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of an organ transplant or is receiving chemotherapy for cancer or molecularly targeted therapies for cancer.
• Patient is receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV or antiviral medication for Hepatitis C.
• Patient is participating in another interventional clinical trial for which a waiver of dual enrollment with CSP#2001 has not been obtained.
• Patient has an ALT > 3 times the upper limit of normal for the site laboratory, or total bilirubin > 2.5 times the upper limit of normal for the site laboratory*,***; INR > 1.5, OR patient has Child-Pugh Class C Cirrhosis.
• Patient has a baseline white blood cell count (WBC) <2000 cells/mm3*** OR absolute neutrophil count (ANC) <1000 cells/mm3*** OR platelet count <50,000 cells/mm3**,*** OR hemoglobin <8.0 g/dL.**,***.
• Women of child-bearing potential (those with menses within the last year) with a positive serum pregnancy test.
• Patient is believed unlikely to be able to complete the trial due to medical conditions.
• Patient is believed unlikely to complete the trial due to neurologic and psycho-behavioral disorders such as active substance abuse or dependence, disabling dementias or psychoses.
• Patient refuses or is clinically unable to undergo the recommended level of debridement.
• Indwelling hardware present in the foot, at the site of the index osteomyelitis.
• Treatment with antibacterial agents for infection at another site, where the duration of treatment is anticipated to be greater than 14 days.
• Patient is receiving therapy for COVID-19 that interacts with rifampin.
• Patients with total bilirubin > 2 times the ULN who have Gilbert's Disease or any other inherited disease affecting bilirubin metabolism without meeting other exclusionary criteria, may be considered for inclusion in the study.
• Patients with platelet count <50,000 cells/mm3 due only to hypersplenism and meeting no other exclusionary criteria may be considered for inclusion in the study.
• If multiple laboratory values are available, the most recent value will be applied for eligibility.

Where it is running

• Phoenix VA Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ — Phoenix, Arizona, United States
• VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA — Loma Linda, California, United States
• VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA — Long Beach, California, United States
• VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA — Palo Alto, California, United States
• VA Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CA — Sacramento, California, United States
• VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA — West Los Angeles, California, United States
• Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO — Aurora, Colorado, United States
• Washington DC VA Medical Center, Washington, DC — Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
• Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Pay Pines, FL — Bay Pines, Florida, United States
• North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL — Gainesville, Florida, United States
• Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, FL — Miami, Florida, United States
• James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL — Tampa, Florida, United States
• Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GA — Decatur, Georgia, United States
• VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI — Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
• Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN — Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
• St. Louis VA Medical Center John Cochran Division, St. Louis, MO — St Louis, Missouri, United States
• James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY — The Bronx, New York, United States
• Salisbury W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center, Salisbury, NC — Salisbury, North Carolina, United States
• Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH — Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
• Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH — Cleveland, Ohio, United States
• Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, OH — Dayton, Ohio, United States
• Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
• VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR — Portland, Oregon, United States
• Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Nashville Campus, Nashville, TN — Nashville, Tennessee, United States
• VA North Texas Health Care System Dallas VA Medical Center, Dallas, TX — Dallas, Texas, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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