Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov
PREDICATE Trial For Respiratory Tract Infections
Early Prednisolone for Suspected Community-acquired Acute Respiratory Tract Infection (PREDICATE): A Double-blind, Randomised, Multi-centre, Adaptive Platform, Controlled Trial
PREDICATE Trial For Respiratory Tract Infections (NCT06472219) is a Phase 3 interventional studying Respiratory Tract Infections, sponsored by The University of Hong Kong. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.
About This Trial
Background The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if prednisolone works to treat moderate to severe respiratory tract infections in adults admitted to hospital. It will also learn about the safety of prednisolone in this context. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does prednisolone lower the number of participants who develop sepsis or who survive? What medical problems do participants have when taking prednisolone? Researchers will compare prednisolone to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if prednisolone works to treat respiratory tract infections in adults. Participants will: Take prednisolone 30mg or a placebo every day for 5 days. Complete a daily diary of symptoms for 30 days and have telephone follow up. Investigators propose to recruit 1300 patients, 650 in each group. The Trial will be conducted in the Emergency Departments and wards of hospitals in Hong Kong. Investigators expect the proportion of patients admitted to the hospital who develop sepsis or who die within 30 days to be reduced from 25% to 18% after taking active treatment. Secondly, investigators expect any difference in the proportion of patients with Serious adverse events(SAEs) not to exceed 5% between active treatment group and control. Benefits to Hong Kong and Worldwide: Active treatments (e.g. prednisolone are cheap, HK$0.2 per 5mg tablet) are widely available across the world. Any reduction of progression to sepsis and death if applied worldwide would improve the lives of millions of patients and save millions of dollars of healthcare costs.
What Stage of Research Is This?
Phase 3 trials confirm efficacy and safety in large patient groups (often 300–3,000+) and form the evidence base for an FDA approval submission. For Respiratory Tract Infections, Phase 3 studies typically randomize participants between the investigational treatment and either a placebo or current standard of care. A successful Phase 3 result is the threshold most treatments need to clear before regulatory approval.
This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.
A target enrollment of 1,300 participants makes this a sizable late-stage trial. Studies in this range typically have enough power to detect clinically meaningful differences from a comparator and to characterize less-common side effects.
Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)
These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.
Original Eligibility Criteria
View original clinical language
Treatments Being Tested
Prednisolone 30 mg
This is a glucocorticoid like cortisol used for its anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, anti-neoplastic and vasoconstrictive effects. It binds to the glucocorticoid receptor, inhibiting pro-inflammatory signals and promoting anti-inflammatory signals. It has a short duration of action as the half-life is 2.1-3.5 hours and 98% is eliminated in urine. On 21 June 1955 it was granted FDA approval.
Placebo
This a tablet identical to prednisolone.
Locations (1)
Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.
How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial
Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06472219), the sponsor (The University of Hong Kong), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.
Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.
Authoritative Sources
The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NCT06472219 clinical trial studying?
Background The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if prednisolone works to treat moderate to severe respiratory tract infections in adults admitted to hospital. It will also learn about the safety of prednisolone in this context. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does prednisolone lower the number of participants who develop sepsis or who survive? What medical problems do participants have when taking prednisolone? Researchers will compare prednisolone to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if prednisolone works to treat respiratory tract infections i… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.
Who can participate in NCT06472219?
Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.
How do I contact the trial site for NCT06472219?
Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.
Is participating in a clinical trial safe?
Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.
Where can I verify the data on this page?
Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.
How This Page Is Built
Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06472219. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06472219. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."
Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.
Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.