NCT06887036RecruitingPhase 2
Methylene Blue Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Methylene Blue Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: a Pilot Study
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 21 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
HBV infection is a global public health problem. It is estimated that there are more than 250 million HBV carriers worldwide, of whom approximately 600,000 die each year from HBV-related liver disease. Diagnosis and treatment depend on the stage of infection, the degree of liver inflammation, and the progression of fibrosis. Patients with HBeAg-positive or -negative hepatitis are usually treated with nucleos(-t)ide analogues. This treatment inhibits HBV reverse transcriptase and reduces viral replication, but does not affect HBsAg production. Treatment must be continued for life in most cases and is associated with high cumulative costs and the risk of development of resistance. Recently, it has been shown that patients who show a decrease in their HBsAg levels are more likely to become HBsAg negative, seroconvert and be able to stop antiviral treatment, which is the ultimate goal of treatment, but unfortunately rarely achieved. Methylene blue (MB) has been shown to have an effect on HBsAg levels in vitro, making it a promising test for a new treatment for HBV. This is an explorative pilot study, open label, dose-escalation, single center clinical trial on the efficacy of MB against HBV infection. Primary objective is to assess the efficacy of incremental doses of MB against hepatitis B virus in patients with chronic hepatitis B assessed by the reduction of both the HBsAg and HBV DNA levels after 6 months of treatment and 6 months of follow-up. Participant will be treated for 6 months with MB 100 mg capsules, and then followed up for a further 6 months. The initial dose of MB might be increased if the patient is a non-responder.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Phase (registry)
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 10 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 14 Mar 2025
- Start date
- 1 Sept 2025
- Primary completion date
- 31 May 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Fondazione Epatocentro Ticino
- Diseases
- Hepatitis B
- NCT number
- NCT06887036
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Phase 2
- Planned participants: 10
- From 1 Sept 2025 to the primary completion date, 31 May 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Treatment with a serotoninergic drug
- Ongoing treatment with a nucleos(-t)ide treatment
- Clinically relevant concomitant liver disease
- Fibroscan of \> 8.0 KPa obtained ≤ 12 months before Visit 0/Screening
- Anti HDV antibody positivity
Other
- Documented refusal to participate in the study
- Known G-6-Phophatase deficiency
- GPT \> 2xULN
- HBeAg positivity
- Breastfeeding women
Who the study is looking for
- Signed informed consent
- Age ≥ 18 and \< 80 years
- Microbiologically confirmed chronic Hepatitis B Virus infection (according to the old terminology "inactive HBV carrier")
- HBsAg levels within 20-15'000 IU/ml measured at the at least twice at 6-18 months apart
- HBV DNA PCR levels within 1'000-20'000 IU/ml measured at least twice at 6-18 months apart
- Negative pregnancy test in women of child-bearing age
Age in the registry: 18 years to 79 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epatocentro Ticino Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Lugano | Switzerland | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.