Tizoxanide is the active metabolite of nitazoxanide, an anti-infective that has been approved for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia or Crytosporidium parvum. Tizoxanide is active against anaerobic bacteria, protozoan parasites, and viruses. It reduces the growth of the disease-causing parasites, L. mexicana and T. cruzi, in vitro (IC50s = 6.2 and 17.5 μM, respectively), inhibits influenza A replication (EC50s = 0.3-1 μM), and inhibits hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus replication (EC50s both = 0.15 μM).
