SNAP

SNAP is an innovative investigator-initiated adaptive platform trial with a perpetual aim to identify the most effective treatments for bloodstream infections caused by the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteraemia.

The trial started in 2022 in Australia, initiated by the Global Sponsor University of Melbourne, and has a recruitment period for at least 3 years or longer. Currently, several countries such as Australia, New-Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Israel and UK are participating, with more than 100 sites involved.

Ecraid is collaborating with the SNAP trial's team and UMC Utrecht to bring this large international study to Europe. Parts of the research within SNAP, such as the pharmacokinetics of certain antibiotics, is being conducted in close collaboration with Radboudumc.

The first European country to join the trial is the Netherlands where 11 hospitals are participating. More countries will follow.

You can learn more about the SNAP trial here.

S. aureus

S. aureus is a bacterium that lives on the skin or in the nose. Usually this does not cause problems, but sometimes this bacterium causes an infection. When it then enters the bloodstream, we speak of a "bloodstream infection" or "bacteremia”. Doctors often use the more specific term "Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia", or SAB. Bloodstream infections with S. aureus are common worldwide and can have serious consequences for patients. According to a recent study, SAB occurs between 3,500 and 5,000 times annually in the Netherlands, with patients routinely being hospitalised and treated with intravenous antibiotics. Despite the best possible care, mortality due to SAB is high, and researchers estimate that 20-25 percent of patients with a SAB die within 30 days of infection (for the Netherlands, it means that 2-3 patients die each day due to a SAB). 

Because of the potentially serious consequences, a SAB should be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible, and guidelines recommend a wide range of antibiotic treatments. However, it is not known which antibiotic (or combination of antibiotics), dosage, method of administration and duration of treatment works best. In the international S. aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) trial, physicians are investigating which antibiotic regimen works best as a treatment for SAB. In particular, they are looking at the chances of survival and recovery of patients hospitalized with such an infection.