Drug Reference
Nitazoxanide
Other agents against amoebiasis and other protozoal diseases
Rx only
Fact box
- Therapeutic class
- Other agents against amoebiasis and other protozoal diseases
- Action class
- Antiprotozoal
- Habit forming
- No
- Availability
- Prescription (Rx)
Brand names
Alinia
Available as
20 MG/ML · Oral Solution20 MG/ML · Oral Suspension500 MG · Oral Tablet
FDA label sections are from openFDA and may not reflect the most recent labeling — confirm against the current DailyMed label.
Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium parvum: Nitazoxanide tablets (patients 12 years and older) are indicated for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium parvum . Limitations of Use Nitazoxanide tablets have not been shown to be effective for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients [see Clinical Studies (14.2) ] . Nitazoxanide tablets are antiprotozoal indicated for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium parvum (1 ). Limitations of Use: Nitazoxanide tablets have not been shown to be effective for the treatment of diarrhea caused by C. parvum in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients (1).
How it works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Nitazoxanide is an antiprotozoal [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].
How to use / dosing
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • Nitazoxanide tablets should not be administered to pediatric patient 11 years of age or younger ( 2.1 ). • Dosage for treatment of diarrhea caused by G.lamblia or C. parvum ( 2.1 ): Age Dosage Duration 12 years and older One 500 mg nitazoxanide tablet every 12 hours with food 3 days 2.1 Recommended Dosage and Important Administration Instructions Important Administration Instructions for Pediatric Patients 11 years of Age or Younger: Nitazoxanide tablets should not be administered to pediatric patients 11 years of age or younger because a single tablet contains a greater amount of nitazoxanide than the recommended dosing in this pediatric age group. Table 1. Recommended Dosage Age Dosage Duration 12 years and older One 500 mg nitazoxanide tablet taken orally every 12 hours with food 3 days
Side effects
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The most common adverse reactions in ≥2% of patients were abdominal pain, headache, chromaturia, and nausea ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Annora Pharma Private Limited at 1-866-495-1995 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety of nitazoxanide was evaluated in 2177 HIV-uninfected subjects 12 months of age and older who received nitazoxanide tablets or Alina for oral suspension at the recommended dose for at least three days. In pooled controlled clinical trials involving 536 HIV-uninfected subjects treated with nitazoxanide tablets or Alina for oral suspension, the most common adverse reactions were abdominal pain, headache, chromaturia and nausea (≥2%). Safety data were analyzed separately for 280 HIV-uninfected subjects ≥12 years of age receiving nitazoxanide at the recommended dose for at least three days in 5 placebo-controlled clinical trials and for 256 HIV-uninfected subjects 1 through 11 years of age in 7 controlled clinical trials. There were no differences between the adverse reactions reported for nitazoxanide-treated subjects based upon age. 6.2 Postmarketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of nitazoxanide. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. The following is a list of adverse reactions spontaneously reported with nitazoxanide tablets which were not included in clinical trial listings: Gastrointestinal disorders: diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux disease Nervous System disorders: dizziness Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: dyspnea Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: rash, urticaria
Safety advice
Conservative summary derived from FDA labeling — defaults to “consult your doctor” unless the label is explicit. Not a substitute for your clinician’s advice.
PregnancyUnsafe
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no data with nitazoxanide in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk. No teratogenicity or fetotoxicity was observed in animal reproduction studies with administration of nitazoxanide to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis at exposures 30 and 2 times, respectively, the exposure at the maximum recommended human dose of 500 mg twice daily based on body surface area (BSA). In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. Data Animal Data Nitazoxanide was administered orally to pregnant rats at doses of 0, 200, 800 or 3200 mg/kg/day on gestation days 6 to 15. Nitazoxanide produced no evidence of systemic maternal toxicity when administered once daily via oral gavage to pregnant female rats at levels up to 3200 mg/kg/day during the period of organogenesis. In rabbits, nitazoxanide was administered at doses of 0, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day on gestation days 7 to 20. Oral treatment of pregnant rabbits with nitazoxanide during organogenesis resulted in minimal maternal toxicity and no external fetal anomalies.
BreastfeedingConsult your doctor
…8.2 Lactation Risk Summary No information regarding the presence of nitazoxanide in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production is available.…
AlcoholNo information
No specific information in the FDA label.
DrivingNo information
No specific information in the FDA label.
KidneyConsult your doctor
…In general, the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy in elderly patients should be considered when prescribing nitazoxanide tablets.…
LiverConsult your doctor
…In general, the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy in elderly patients should be considered when prescribing nitazoxanide tablets.…
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Hypersensitivity ( 4.1 ) 4.1 Hypersensitivity Nitazoxanide tablets are contraindicated in patients with a prior hypersensitivity to nitazoxanide or any other ingredient in the formulations.
Pediatric use
8.4 Pediatric Use The safety and efficacy of nitazoxanide tablets for the treatment of diarrhea caused by G. lamblia or C. parvum in pediatric patients 12 to 17 years of age has been established based on three (3) randomized controlled studies with 47 pediatric subjects treated with nitazoxanide tablets 500 mg. A single nitazoxanide tablet contains a greater amount of nitazoxanide than is recommended for use in pediatric patients 11 years or younger. [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.1 )] .
⚑ About half of pediatric medication use is off-label and not described in FDA labels — absence of pediatric information does not mean a medicine is unused or unsafe in children. Confirm with your clinician.
Interactions (label text — not an interaction checker)
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Competition for binding sites may occur when administered concurrently with other highly plasma protein-bound drugs with narrow therapeutic indices. Monitor for adverse reactions ( 7 ). 7.1 Highly Protein Bound Drugs with Narrow Therapeutic Indices Tizoxanide (the active metabolite of nitazoxanide) is highly bound to plasma protein (>99.9%). Therefore, monitor for adverse reactions when administering nitazoxanide concurrently with other highly plasma protein-bound drugs with narrow therapeutic indices, as competition for binding sites may occur (e.g., warfarin).
Overdose
10 OVERDOSAGE Limited information on nitazoxanide overdosage is available. In the event of overdose, gastric lavage may be appropriate soon after oral administration. Patients should be observed and given symptomatic and supportive treatment. There is no specific antidote for overdose with nitazoxanide. Because tizoxanide is highly protein bound (>99.9%), dialysis is unlikely to significantly reduce plasma concentrations of the drug.
Current FDA labels (DailyMed)
Authoritative sources
Reference only — not clinical advice. Verify against current FDA labeling and consult a licensed provider. About half of pediatric drug use is off-label and is not reflected in FDA labels; absence of pediatric information does not mean a medicine is unused or unsafe in children.