Ask to take part

Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Zehra Yilmaz
Zehra.yilmaz@nhs.net


Prof Ian Wilkinson
ibw20@medschl.cam.ac.uk


Cambs Cardiovascular
cambs.cardiovascular@nhs.net


More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.

Study Location:

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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - OPACE

OPACE

Medical Conditions

Chronic lower respiratory diseases


This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


People living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience worsening of symptoms such as shortness of breath,coughing,and wheezing in addition to changes that may be expected for having COPD. The worsening of symptoms is called
exacerbations or flare-ups and can be debilitating and frightening,requiring additional treatment,often with azithromycin. This is an antibiotic medicine that also has anti-inflammatory properties. It is prescribed as long-term prevention to reduce the risk of flare-ups.

Some people may be affected by side effects from azithromycin. Antibiotic resistance is another concern,especially when using azithromycin for prevention rather than to treat active infection. We currently don’t know whether to advise people to stop taking
azithromycin once COPD has stabilised or stop it over the summer when fewer flare-ups happen. We also don’t know if azithromycin
is more effective in some people or more likely to cause side effects in others. Given these uncertainties,it is challenging to know how best to use azithromycin in managing COPD.

Azithromycin is a valuable antibiotic,and we want to prescribe it where it has benefit but we want to avoid unnecessary side effects and reduce the chances of bacteria becoming resistant to it.

The purpose of this trial is to be able to gain results to answer these questions. We want to establish the effects of stopping azithromycin in people whose COPD has stabilised,who have been taking it for at least 3 months.

In this trial,we will compare continuing azithromycin,with stopping it completely,or stopping over the summer only,continuing over the winter. We will compare the effects of these three treatments in the trial on flare-ups,symptoms and quality of life and also find out what factors may affect how individual participants respond to them.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

05 Mar 2024 26 Feb 2027

Observational and Interventional

Type: Drug;



You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


Electrocardiograms (ECGs) will not be a trial assessment nor entry requirement. The presence of any of the following will preclude participant inclusion: • Known hypersensitivity to any of the trial drugs or excipients. • Current breast feeding,pregnancy or planned pregnancy during the trial. • Any medical history or clinically relevant abnormality that makes patient ineligible for inclusion because of a safety concern relating to continuing or discontinuing azithromycin or other considerations. • Known immunodeficiency requiring immunoglobulin/specific antibody therapy. • Azithromycin prophylaxis prescribed for non-COPD condition. • Active participation in COPD CTIMP.


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • St Bartholomew's Hospital
    London
    Greater London
    EC1A 7BE
  • Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - City Campus
    Nottingham
    Nottinghamshire
    NG5 1PB
  • Peterborough City Hospital
    Peterborough
    Cambridgeshire
    PE3 9GZ
  • Royal Free Hospital
    London
    Greater London
    NW3 2QG
  • Yeovil District Hospital
    Yeovil
    BA21 4AT
  • Freeman Hospital
    Newcastle Upon Tyne
    Tyne And Wear
    NE7 7DN
  • Princess Alexandra Hospital
    Harlow
    Essex
    CM20 1QX
  • Rotherham District General Hospital
    Rotherham
    South Yorkshire
    S60 2UD
  • Barnsley Hospital
    Barnsley
    South Yorkshire
    S75 2EP
  • Liverpool Heart And Chest Hospital NHS Trust Hq
    Liverpool
    Merseyside
    L14 3PE
  • Addenbrooke's Hospital
    Cambridge
    Cambridgeshire
    CB2 0QQ
  • Lister Hospital
    Stevenage
    Hertfordshire
    SG1 4AB
  • Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital
    Margate
    Kent
    CT9 4AN
  • Nettleham Medical Practice
    Lincoln
    Lincolnshire
    LN2 2RS
  • Stamford & Rutland Hospital
    Stamford
    Lincolnshire
    PE9 1UA
  • The James Cook University Hospital
    Middlesbrough
    Cleveland
    TS4 3BW
  • Swansea Bay University Local Health Board
    Port Talbot
    West Glamorgan
    SA12 7BR
  • Mile End Hospital
    London
    Greater London
    E1 4DG
  • St Richard's Hospital
    Chichester
    West Sussex
    PO19 6SE
  • The Royal London Hospital
    London
    Greater London
    E1 1BB
  • University Hospital Of North Tees
    Stockton-on-tees
    Cleveland
    TS19 8PE
  • Hinchingbrooke Hospital
    Huntingdon
    Cambridgeshire
    PE29 6NT
  • Worthing Hospital
    Worthing
    West Sussex
    BN11 2DH
  • The Tunbridge Wells Hospital
    Tunbridge Wells
    Kent
    TN2 4QJ
  • Woodhouse Medical Centre
    Sheffield
    South Yorkshire
    S13 7LY
  • The Maidstone Hospital
    Maidstone
    Kent
    ME16 9QQ
  • Vauxhall Health Centre
    Liverpool
    Merseyside
    L5 8XR
  • Tamar Valley Health
    Callington
    Cornwall
    PL17 7AW
  • University Hospital Llandough
    Penarth
    South Glamorgan
    CF64 2XX
  • Heath Lane Surgery
    Leicester
    Leicestershire
    LE9 7PB
  • Granta Medical Practices
    Cambridge
    Cambridgeshire
    CB22 3HU
  • Trinity Surgery
    Wisbech
    Cambridgeshire
    PE13 3UZ
  • Bay Medical Group
    Morecambe
    LA3 2LE
  • Ludham And Stalham Green Surgeries
    Great Yarmouth
    Norfolk
    NR29 5AB
  • Hounslow Medical Centre
    Hounslow
    Middlesex
    TW3 3ET
  • Colne Road Surgery
    Burnley
    Lancashire
    BB10 1LS
  • Orrell Park Medical Centre
    Liverpool
    Merseyside
    L9 8BU
  • Atlas Medical Practice
    St. Helens
    Merseyside
    WA9 1LN
  • Rawson Road Medical Centre
    Liverpool
    Merseyside
    L21 1HP
  • The Bowery Medical Centre
    St. Helens
    Merseyside
    WA9 5PR
  • Upton Rocks Primary Care
    Widnes
    Cheshire
    WA8 7NU
  • St Catherines Surgery
    Birkenhead
    Merseyside
    CH42 0LQ
  • Waters Edge Medical Centre
    Middlewich
    Cheshire
    CW10 9BH
  • Stenhouse Medical Centre
    Nottingham
    Nottinghamshire
    NG5 7BP
  • Doddington Hospital
    March
    Cambridgeshire
    PE15 0UG
  • Newton Practice
    Newton-le-willows
    Merseyside
    WA12 0JJ
  • Harambee Surgery
    Colne
    Lancashire
    BB8 8QU
  • Windermere Medical Centre
    St. Helens
    WA11 7AF

Prof Ian Wilkinson
ibw20@medschl.cam.ac.uk


Cambs Cardiovascular
cambs.cardiovascular@nhs.net


Zehra Yilmaz
Zehra.yilmaz@nhs.net



More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.


The study is sponsored by CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST and funded by NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Co-ordinating Centre (NETSCC) .




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for Trial ID: CPMS 55548

Last updated 09 May 2025

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