Study of Nitazoxanide, Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin for the Treatment of Hepatitis C (STEALTHC-2)
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00495391 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : July 3, 2007
Results First Posted : January 6, 2014
Last Update Posted : May 8, 2014
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Chronic Hepatitis C | Drug: Nitazoxanide Drug: Placebo Biological: Peginterferon alfa-2a Drug: Ribavirin | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 64 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Phase II, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study of Nitazoxanide in Combination With Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin in Patients With Hepatitis C Who Have Failed to Respond to a Prior Course of Peginterferon and Ribavirin |
Study Start Date : | July 2007 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | February 2010 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | February 2010 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: 1
Oral 500 mg nitazoxanide twice daily for 4 weeks followed by oral 500 mg nitazoxanide twice daily plus weekly injections of peginterferon alfa-2a plus oral ribavirin (1000 mg if <75 kg body weight or 1200 mg if ≥75 kg body weight) in daily divided doses for 48 weeks.
|
Drug: Nitazoxanide
One oral 500 mg nitazoxanide tablet twice daily for 52 weeks.
Other Name: Alinia Biological: Peginterferon alfa-2a Weekly injections of 180µg peginterferon alfa-2a for 48 weeks.
Other Name: PEGASYS Drug: Ribavirin 1000 mg (if <75 kg body weight) or 1200 mg (if ≥75 kg body weight) ribavirin in divided daily doses for 48 weeks.
Other Name: COPEGUS |
Placebo Comparator: 2
Oral placebo twice daily for 4 weeks followed by oral placebo twice daily plus weekly injections of peginterferon alfa-2a plus oral ribavirin (1000 mg if <75 kg body weight or 1200 mg if ≥75 kg body weight) in daily divided doses for 48 weeks.
|
Drug: Placebo
One oral placebo tablet twice daily for 52 weeks. Biological: Peginterferon alfa-2a Weekly injections of 180µg peginterferon alfa-2a for 48 weeks.
Other Name: PEGASYS Drug: Ribavirin 1000 mg (if <75 kg body weight) or 1200 mg (if ≥75 kg body weight) ribavirin in divided daily doses for 48 weeks.
Other Name: COPEGUS |
- Sustained Virologic Response (HCV RNA Below Lower Limit of Detection) [ Time Frame: 24 weeks after end of treatment ]Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) below lower limit of detection 24 weeks after the end of treatment. All others were considered non-responders.
- End of Treatment Response (HCV RNA Below Lower Limit of Detection) [ Time Frame: At end of treatment ]Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) below lower limit of detection at the end of treatment. All others were considered non-responders.
- Early Virologic Response (HCV RNA Below Lower Limit of Detection) [ Time Frame: After 12 weeks combination treatment ]Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) below lower limit of detection after 12 weeks of combination therapy.
- Rapid Virologic Response (HCV RNA Below Lower Limit of Detection) [ Time Frame: After 4 weeks combination treatment ]Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) below lower limit of detection after 4 weeks of combination therapy.
- Changes in ALT [ Time Frame: From baseline to week 8 ]This analysis was conducted using a comparison of changes in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) from baseline through week 8, week 16, end of treatment and end of follow up.
- Changes in ALT [ Time Frame: From baseline to week 16 ]This analysis was conducted using a comparison of changes in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) from baseline through week 8, week 16, end of treatment and end of follow up.
- Changes in ALT [ Time Frame: From baseline to end of treatment ]This analysis was conducted using a comparison of changes in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) from baseline through week 8, week 16, end of treatment and end of follow up.
- Changes in ALT [ Time Frame: From baseline to end of follow up ]This analysis was conducted using a comparison of changes in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) from baseline through week 8, week 16, end of treatment and end of follow up.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Chronic hepatitis C genotype 1.
- Failed to respond to ≥12 weeks of peginterferon and ribavirin (<2 log10 drop in Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) at week 12 or detectable Hepatitis C Virus Ribonucleic Acid (HCV RNA) at week 24).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Females of child-bearing age who are either pregnant, breast-feeding or not using birth control and are sexually active.
- Males whose female partners are either pregnant or of child-bearing potential or not using birth control and are sexually active.
- Other causes of liver disease including autoimmune hepatitis.
- Transplant recipients receiving immune suppression therapy.
- Screening tests positive for Anti-Hepatitis A Virus Immunoglobulin M Antibody (anti-HAV IgM Ab), Hepatitis B's antigen (HBsAg), Anti-Hepatitis B core antigen Immunoglobulin M Antibody (anti-HBc IgM Ab) or Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Antibody (anti-HIV Ab).
- Decompensated cirrhosis, history of variceal bleeding, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score >6 or Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score >8.
- Alcohol consumption of >40 grams per day or an alcohol use pattern that will interfere with the study.
- Absolute neutrophil count <1500 cells/mm3; platelet count <135,000 cells/mm3; hemoglobin <12 g/dL for women and <13 g/dL for men; or serum creatinine concentration ≥1.5 times Upper Limit of Normal (ULN).
- Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism not effectively treated with medication.
- Hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1c) >7.5 or history of diabetes mellitus.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) >28.
- History or other clinical evidence of significant or unstable cardiac disease.
- History or other clinical evidence of chronic pulmonary disease associated with functional impairment.
- Serious or severe bacterial infection(s).
- Ulcerative or hemorrhagic/ischemic colitis.
- Pancreatitis.
- History of severe or uncontrolled psychiatric disease, including severe depression, history of suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts or psychosis requiring medication and/or hospitalization.
- History of uncontrolled severe seizure disorder.
- Requires concomitant theophylline or methadone.
- History of immunologically mediated disease requiring more than intermittent anti-inflammatory medications for management or that requires frequent or prolonged use of corticosteroids.
- History or other evidence of severe retinopathy or clinically relevant ophthalmological disorder due to diabetes mellitus or hypertension.
- Hemoglobinopathies.
- History of hypersensitivity or intolerance to nitazoxanide or any of the excipients comprising the nitazoxanide tablets, peginterferon alfa-2a injectable solution or ribavirin tablets.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00495391
United States, California | |
VA Palo Alto Healthcare System | |
Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304 | |
Stanford University School of Medicine | |
Stanford, California, United States, 94305 | |
United States, Connecticut | |
Yale University Digestive Diseases | |
New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06520 | |
United States, Florida | |
University of Florida Hepatology | |
Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32610 | |
Florida Center for Gastroenterology | |
Largo, Florida, United States, 33777 | |
United States, Georgia | |
Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates | |
Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30308 | |
United States, New York | |
Weill Cornell Medical College | |
New York, New York, United States, 10021 | |
United States, Tennessee | |
Nashville Medical Research Institute | |
Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37205 | |
United States, Texas | |
Brooke Army Medical Center | |
Fort Sam Houston, Texas, United States, 78234 | |
United States, Virginia | |
McGuire VA Medical Center | |
Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23249 |
Principal Investigator: | David Nelson, MD | University of Florida Hepatology | |
Principal Investigator: | Stephen Harrison, MD | Brooke Army Medical Center | |
Principal Investigator: | Arthur Berman, DO | Florida Center for Gastroenterology | |
Principal Investigator: | Ronald Pruitt, MD | Nashville Medical Research Institute | |
Principal Investigator: | Ahmed Aijaz, MD | Stanford University | |
Principal Investigator: | Ramsey Cheung, MD | VA Palo Alto Health Care System | |
Principal Investigator: | Ira Jacobson, MD | Weill Medical College of Cornell University | |
Principal Investigator: | Mitchell Shiffman, MD | McGuire VA Medical Center | |
Principal Investigator: | Joseph Lim, MD | Yale University Digestive Diseases | |
Principal Investigator: | Norman Gitlin, MD | Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates |
Responsible Party: | Romark Laboratories L.C. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00495391 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
RM01-2025 |
First Posted: | July 3, 2007 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | January 6, 2014 |
Last Update Posted: | May 8, 2014 |
Last Verified: | April 2014 |
Hepatitis C, Chronic |
Hepatitis A Hepatitis C Hepatitis C, Chronic Hepatitis Liver Diseases Digestive System Diseases Hepatitis, Viral, Human Virus Diseases Infections Enterovirus Infections Picornaviridae Infections RNA Virus Infections |
Blood-Borne Infections Communicable Diseases Flaviviridae Infections Hepatitis, Chronic Ribavirin Peginterferon alfa-2a Nitazoxanide Antimetabolites Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Antiparasitic Agents |