Study of Oral Administration of Ribavirin and Nitazoxamide Versus Placebo in COVID-19 (DuACT)

July 13, 2022 updated by: Professor Francois Venter, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Study Comparing the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Oral Administration of Ribavirin (RBV) and Nitazoxamide (NTZ)Versus Placebo in SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infected Participants (DuACT)

This is a single center, randomized, double-blind, 2-arm, parallel-group study of DuACT in participants with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 that have begun within the past 72 hours prior to testing.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a single center, randomized, double-blind, 2-arm, parallel-group study of DuACT in participants with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 that have begun within the past 72 hours prior to testing. A confirmatory diagnosis of COVID-19 via nasopharyngeal swab, with a positive PCR result within 48 hours of testing.

Consented participants who complete screening and meet study eligibility criteria will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive DuACT or Placebo for 5 days.

Study drugs will be administered BID for 5 days with a loading dose on Day 1. Following randomization, participants will complete a symptom questionnaire, record temperature and record oxygen saturation daily for 10 days and at day 28. A thermometer and pulse oximeter will be provided to each patient at the baseline visit (Day 1).

On study days 3, 6 and 10 participants will have a clinic or home visit by a home healthcare provider. At these visits, a mid-turbinate nasal swab will be obtained, confirmation of the patient's clinical symptoms questionnaire will be completed and any adverse events will be assessed.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
80

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • South Africa
    • Gauteng
      • Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
        • Sunnyside Office Park

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Signed a current EC approved informed consent form

  2. Male or female participants between 18 and 75 years of age, inclusive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with all of the following, with onset of any within the 72 hours prior to testing:

    1. Presence of fever at time of screening of ≥ 38.0°C (≥ 100.0°F) and/or
    2. Presence of at least one constitutional symptom associated with Covid-19 (e.g. headache, myalgia, malaise, or fatigue, rash, diarrhea, loss or alteration of taste/smell) of any severity, and/or
    3. Presence of at least one respiratory symptom (e.g. cough, chest tightness or sore throat) and/or
  3. Diagnosis of COVID-19 with a positive PCR in the past 48 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Pregnant or lactating females

  2. Critically ill with presence of one or more of the following signs:

    1. difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
    2. need for admission to a hospital or an intensive care unit,
    3. acute respiratory failure requiring intubation/mechanical ventilation,
    4. signs of shock including hypotension
    5. Oxygen saturation < 92 %
  3. Any clinically significant screening laboratory results that are greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal.
  4. Estimated GFR < 50 mL/min/1.73 m2 (calculated using either Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) or Cockcroft Gualt
  5. Known genetic hemoglobinopathy (e.g., thalassemia major or sickle cell anemia) or autoimmune hemolytic anemia
  6. Hemoglobin less than 10 gm/dL or hematocrit < 30 %
  7. Retinal eye disease
  8. Known chronic kidney disease, stage - 5 or receiving dialysis
  9. Inability to tolerate oral medications
  10. Allergy or prior adverse reaction to either ribavirin or nitazoxanide
  11. QTc interval > 450 mSEC for men and women
  12. History of Torsade de Pointes VT or prior cardiac arrest or congenital long QT interval
  13. Current treatment with histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2 blockers) and/or Protein Pump Inhibitors and throughout the study.
  14. Have been vaccinated against COVID-19
  15. Have participated in a clinical study in the past 30 days
  16. Any physical, mental, or social condition, drug/alcohol use, history of illness or laboratory abnormality that in the investigator's judgment might interfere with study procedures or the ability of the subject to adhere to and complete the study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Arm A: Placebo
Placebo administered
Drug: Placebo
Placebo administered on Days 1-5
Active Comparator: Arm B: Ribavirin/Nitazoxanide (RBV/NTZ)
Ribavirin/Nitazoxanide (RBV/NTZ) administered
Drug: DuACT
Day1: RBV 600 mg BID and NTZ 500 mg BID Days 2-5: RBV 400 mg BID and NTZ 500 mg BID

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of decline in viral load
Time Frame: 10 days
Rate of decline in viral load over the 10 days after randomization between participants treated with RBV and NTZ for COVID-19 and placebo
10 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to resolution of viral load
Time Frame: 28 days
Time to resolution of viral load, defined by reduction of virus below LLOQ and maintaining it for 2 days.
28 days
Comparison of proportion of subjects who are asymptomatic and symptomatic
Time Frame: 10 days
Comparison of proportion of subjects who are asymptomatic and symptomatic at day 10
10 days
Rate of decline in viral load
Time Frame: Days 3 and 6
To assess the rate of decline in viral load over days 3 and 6 after randomization
Days 3 and 6
Change in modified NEWS-2
Time Frame: 28 days
Assess change in modified National Early Warning System-2 items on a scale of 0 to 20. HIgher scores meaning greater clinical risk.
28 days
Proportion of subjects with treatment emergent adverse events
Time Frame: 28 days
Proportion of subjects with treatment emergent adverse events leading to study drug discontinuation
28 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
SynaVir

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Simiso Sokhela, Ezintsha

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 9, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 28, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 21, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 21, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 24, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 14, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 13, 2022

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • DUACT-101

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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