Clarithromycin in Active Crohn's Disease

Clarithromycin may be an effective therapy in Crohn's disease. It is a broad spectrum antibiotic. Crohn's disease, the investigators think, is in some way related to bacteria, which reside in the bowel. Previous studies of different types of antibiotic in Crohn's disease have shown encouraging results. Clarithromycin alters the bacteria in the bowel and gets into cells in the bowel which may contain bacteria. There is some evidence that clarithromycin can stimulate the immune system and improve the function of cells involved in killing bacteria in the bowel.