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Metformin Therapy in HCV Infection

NCT02972723 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 16

Last updated 2016-11-23

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a major cause of cirrhosis and death from liver disease worldwide. Current therapy for HCV with interferon based therapies results in cure rates of around 5055% which leaves a significant number of patients without effective therapy. HCV induces (can bring on) insulin resistance and insulin resistance is a factor known to reduce the response to antiHCV therapy. This finding stimulated initial studies looking at agents that may reduce insulin resistance as additional therapy in HCV infection.

A study using metformin in addition to interferon and ribavirin showed a nonsignificant increase in cure rates (53% vs. 42%), but this was limited to patients with type 1 infection AND demonstrable insulin resistance. The assumption was made that the potential effect of metformin was likely to be on insulin resistance and thus by modulating this enhances response. The investigators (Prof M Harris, University of Leeds) have data (currently unpublished)suggesting that metformin may have an antiviral effect independent of its effect on insulin resistance, thus raising the possibility that metformin may have a direct antiviral effect in vivo. Given that the development of specific antiHCV agents which target viral proteins such as its polymerase and protease are in trial development but have so far proved either highly toxic or are likely to have a huge cost there is considerable rationale for looking at alternative potential antiHCV agents and in this context metformin is cheap, readily available and has an excellent safety profile. This pilot study therefore addresses the question "Does metformin therapy result in a significant drop in HCV viral load in chronically infected patients?"

Conditions

  • Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Interventions

DRUG

Metformin

Oral Metformin 1g bd. (total = 2g per day) for 14 days

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Stephen Dr Ryder · Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-03-31
Primary Completion
2011-09-30
Completion
2011-12-31

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Entities

Drugs

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02972723 on ClinicalTrials.gov