Background: Nitazoxanide, approved for the treatment of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia, was found to inhibit hepatitis C virus replication.
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of nitazoxanide as an add-on therapy to pegylated interferon α-2a and ribavirin on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Patients and methods: A total of 200 patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled in the study, assigned randomly in a 1 : 1 ratio to two groups: group A (placebo group) and group B (nitazoxanide group). Five patients withdrew from the study after they signed the consent form.A total of 195 patients were evaluated: 97 patients in group A versus 98 patients in group B at a dose of 500 mg twice daily. Placebo and nitazoxanide were administered as an add-on therapy to pegylated interferon α-2a plus ribavirin following a 12-week lead-in phase. SVR was evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS software.
Results: The mean age of the patients in group A was 46.5 versus 45.7 years in group B. In group A, 85 out of 97 (87.6%) patients were men and in group B, 84 out of 98 (85.7%) patients were men.In group A, 59 out of 97 (60.82%) patients achieved an SVR versus 57 out of 98 (58.16%) patients in group B (P=0.70); this difference was not significant.
Conclusion: Our data did not show any significant impact of nitazoxanide on SVR.