Although patients in the levofloxacin arm had a tendency to longer periods until the next acute episode, there was no statistically significant difference in the exacerbation-free interval between the two study drugs. Clinical cure rates in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population was 82.8% for levofloxacin and 79.8% for clarithromycin, while rates in the per protocol (PP) population were 86.1% and 84.8% respectively. However, clinical and bacteriological results at the end of treatment were in favour of levofloxacin. Bacteriologic eradication rates at the end of therapy were 96.0% in the ITT group for levofloxacin and 81.7% for clarithromycin. In the PP population, the rates were 96.8% for levofloxacin and 83.1% for clarithromycin (27).