Hydroxychloroquine trial for rare vasculitis halted early
NCT ID NCT04316494
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether hydroxychloroquine, a drug used for lupus and arthritis, could help control ANCA vasculitis—a group of autoimmune diseases that cause blood vessel inflammation. Adults with mild disease activity were randomly assigned to receive hydroxychloroquine or a placebo alongside their usual treatments for one year. The trial was terminated early after enrolling 43 of the planned 76 participants.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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43 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Finished
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May 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria 1. Are at least 18 years of age at screening. 2. Have a clinical diagnosis of Granulomatosis Polyangiitis (GPA) or a diagnosis of Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA) or a diagnosis of Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) according to the Chapel Hill criteria. 3. Have a Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score \>3 BVAS v.3 (Appendix 2) with minor BVAS items only (no major BVAS items).BVAS should be \>3 at screening and at randomisation. 4. Patients should be receiving maintenance therapy at a stable dose for 4 weeks prior to randomisation. Maintenance therapy is defined as prednisolone and/or azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate, co-trimoxazole or maintenance rituximab therapy. 5. Patients receiving corticosteroids for reasons other than vasculitis must be on a stable regimen for four weeks prior to randomisation. 6. A female patient is eligible to enter the study if she is: Not pregnant or nursing; OR Of non-childbearing potential (i.e., women who have had a hysterectomy, are postmenopausal defined as ≥1 year without menses, have both ovaries surgically removed or have documented tubal ligation or other permanent sterilization procedure); OR Of childbearing potential. These women must have a negative urine pregnancy test at screening and at baseline and be using at least one effective method of contraception. Periodic abstinence (e.g. calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, post-ovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception. Consistent and correct use of one of the following acceptable methods of birth control for 1 month prior to the start of the study agent, during the study, and 16 weeks after the last dose of study agent: Oral contraceptive, either combined or progestogen alone Injectable progestogen Implants of levonorgestrel or etonogestrel Estrogenic vaginal ring Percutaneous contraceptive patches Intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS) with \<1% failure rate as stated in the product label 7. No contraindications to hydroxychloroquine therapy. 8. Willing and able to give written informed consent to participate in the trial. 9. Patients should have sufficient English in order to provide informed consent and complete the patient questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients currently taking hydroxychloroquine or related antimalarial such as mepacrine or chloroquine. 2. Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \<30 ml/min. 3. Patients weighing \<40kg. 4. Sensitivity, anaphylaxis or allergy to hydroxychloroquine or any other 4-aminoquinoline compound. 5. Known glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. 6. Known lactose intolerance. 7. Evidence of plaque psoriasis. 8. Concomitant use of the following medications within the last six months: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor treatment (e.g. etanercept) Cyclophosphamide Abatacept Alemtuzumab Any experimental biological therapies Intravenous, intramuscular or sub-cutaneous immunoglobin Plasma exchange Antithymocyte globulin Tamoxifen Live vaccines 9. B cell depleting therapy (rituximab) for remission induction within the last six months. Rituximab maintenance therapy is permitted. 10. Severe or rapidly progressive ANCA vasculitis with at least one major BVAS item. 11. Have clinical evidence of significant unstable or uncontrolled acute or chronic diseases not due to vasculitis (i.e., cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, neurological, malignancy or infectious disease) which, in the opinion of the principal investigator, could confound the results of the study or put the patient at undue risk. 12. Patients taking long term macrolide antibiotics for a chronic condition. This does not include topical preparations. 13. Have a history of malignant neoplasm within the last 5 years, except for adequately treated cancers of the skin (basal or squamous cell) or carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix. 14. Have current drug or alcohol abuse or dependence, or a history of drug or alcohol abuse or dependence within 364 days prior to randomisation. A urine drug screen should be performed and confirmed negative prior to study entry. 15. Have a historically positive test or test positive at screening for hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody or hepatitis C antibody or are known to be HIV-1 positive. 16. Have a Grade 3 or greater laboratory abnormality based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) toxicity scale (version 5), unless considered by the investigator to be related to the underlying disease or induction therapy. 17. Screening 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) that demonstrates clinically relevant abnormalities that may affect patient safety or interpretation of study results, including: - QT interval corrected using the same consistent formula at each visit (QTc) \> 470 msec for female \> 450 msec for male patients demonstrated by at least two ECGs. 18. Participation in any other interventional trial within the last 6 months. 19. Have a current symptomatic COVID-19 infection. 20. Have been admitted to the ICU in the past 6 months due to a COVID-19 infection.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
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Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
Cardiff, CF14 4XW, United Kingdom
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Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Llantrisant, United Kingdom
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East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 4AB, United Kingdom
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Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Epsom, United Kingdom
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Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
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Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom
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King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
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Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool, Merseyside, L9 7AL, United Kingdom
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NHS Highland
Inverness, Inverness-shire, IV2 3JH, United Kingdom
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Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Oxford, United Kingdom
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Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5AN, United Kingdom
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Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Bath, Somerset, BA1 3NG, United Kingdom
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South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
Sunderland, United Kingdom
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Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Redhill, Surrey, RH1 5RH, United Kingdom
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Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Torquay, United Kingdom
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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Brighton, Sussex, BN2 5BE, United Kingdom
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University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Leicester, Leicestershire, LE3 9QP, United Kingdom
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