SARC-Taper
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Corticosteroid tapering in sarcoidosis
IRAS ID
367551
Contact name
Vasilieos Kouranos
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Brompton Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 21 days
Research summary
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory condition affecting many different parts of the body but most commonly the lungs. It is not known what causes sarcoidosis. In some patients no treatment is needed but in other patients long term treatment may be required.
One of the main medications used to manage this condition is corticosteroids. This medication has been shown to be very effective at reducing inflammation in this condition and many patients often remain on it for months to years.
Unfortunately, there are many negative long-term side effects of corticosteroid use. This includes an increased risk of developing diabetes, reduced bone density, weight gain, high blood pressure and low muscle mass. Currently there are no guidelines for how steroids should be weaned in patients who have stable sarcoidosis.
We aim to undertake a single centre, open-label parallel-group randomised study. This will assess two different steroid tapering regimens. This will be the first study to directly evaluate different steroid weaning regimens in sarcoidosis patients.
The main aim of this study is to determine how many patients can reduce their prednisolone dose to less than 50% from their baseline dose. Additionally, we will be recording how many patients require an increase in dose or an additional medication whilst on the prednisolone weaning regimen. We will also see the tolerability of steroid withdrawal and assess for any symptoms of steroid withdrawal. In a small subset of patients we will assess for any changes in body composition and muscle strength using bioelectrical impedance analysis and isometric muscle testing.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
26/WS/0028
Date of REC Opinion
10 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion