Randomized Clinical Trial: Dequalinium chloride demonstrates noninferiority to metronidazole in treating bacterial vaginosis – JAMA Netw Open

This randomized clinical trial investigated the efficacy of dequalinium chloride compared to metronidazole for treating bacterial vaginosis in premenopausal women. Conducted across multiple centers from July 2021 to August 2022, the study involved 147 participants who were randomly assigned to receive either dequalinium chloride vaginal tablets or oral metronidazole. The primary outcome measured was the clinical cure rate shortly after treatment completion. Results showed that dequalinium chloride achieved a 92.8% cure rate, which was statistically noninferior to metronidazole’s 93.2% rate. Additionally, dequalinium chloride was better tolerated, with fewer adverse events reported compared to metronidazole. These findings suggest that dequalinium chloride is as effective as traditional antibiotic treatments for bacterial vaginosis and could be considered a viable non-antibiotic alternative due to its similar efficacy and enhanced tolerability.

Reference (link to free full-text):

Grzegorz Raba et al. (2024). Efficacy of Dequalinium Chloride vs Metronidazole for the Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open, 7(5), e248661. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.8661