Placebo Controlled Study of 3 Doses of Rifaximin-EIR Tablet to Treat Moderate, Active Crohn's Disease

Summary

This study aims to determine which of 3 doses of a non-absorbable antibiotic Rifaximin is most effective in treating active moderate Crohn's disease. Rifaximin tablets are already marketed in some European countries and the USA to treat traveller's diarrhoea. A new gastro-resistant form of Rifaximin called Rifaximin-Extended Intestinal Release (EIR) will be used in this study. These tablets dissolve in the stomach,releasing gastro-resistant granules which pass into the intestines and deliver Rifaximin directly to the site of the disease. Rifaximin is not absorbed, making it more effective and greatly reducing the frequency of side effects.

Timeline

Start

2007-09

Primary completion

2009-03

Completion

2009-10

Outcome

Met primary endpoint

paper 62% of patients who received the 800-mg dosage of rifaximin-EIR (61 of 98) were in remission, compared with 43% of patients who received placebo (43 of 101) (P = .005). PMID 22155172 ↗

Publications

• Background Prantera C, Lochs H, Campieri M, Scribano ML, Sturniolo GC, Castiglione F, Cottone M. Antibiotic treatment of Crohn's disease: results of a multicentre, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with rifaximin. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Apr 15;23(8):1117-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02879.x.
• Prantera C, Lochs H, Grimaldi M, Danese S, Scribano ML, Gionchetti P; Retic Study Group (Rifaximin-Eir Treatment in Crohn's Disease). Rifaximin-extended intestinal release induces remission in patients with moderately active Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology. 2012 Mar;142(3):473-481.e4. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2011.11.032. Epub 2011 Dec 6.

Drugs

Indications