Liver drug study pulled before it even started

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Cirrhosis patients between 18-89 years of age, without prior transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement or prior overt hepatic encephalopathy. 2. Cirrhosis diagnosed on the basis of liver biopsy, liver stiffness measurement (Fibroscan) or radiological study. 3. CHE diagnosis using pre-defined criteria \[two of the following should be abnormal as compared to healthy controls: number connection test A/B (NCT-A/B), Digit Symbol Test (DST), or Block Design Test (BDT)\] at least 2 months prior to the start of the study (beyond 2 standard deviation of normal). Testing will be carried out by a trained psychologist. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known allergy to rifaximin / rifabutin / rifampin. 2. Use of antibiotics within last 6 weeks 3. Use of lactulose / lactitol, probiotics, L-ornithine- L -aspartate, zinc, metronidazole, or neomycin, within last 6 weeks 4. Use of any drug known to affect gastro-intestinal motility within the previous 2 to 4 weeks (such as, Reglan, Erythromycin, or Domeperidone) 5. Use of drugs such as opiates and antidepressants (except stable doses of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) 6. Patients deemed higher risk for capsule retention including a history of esophageal stricture or Zenker's diverticulum, partial or complete bowel obstruction, known fistulas, known large or numerous diverticula and dementia 7. Diseases associated with poor gastrointestinal motility such as uncontrolled diabetes (A1c \> 8%), rheumatological disorders (such as scleroderma and mixed connective tissue disorders \[MCT\]) 8. History of gastrointestinal tract or abdominal surgery 9. Spontaneous peritonitis or other severe infections 10. Colonoscopy or enema treatment within 4 weeks 11. Hepatic encephalopathy with clinical signs 12. Inability to complete neuropsychiatric testing due to hearing loss, poor vision, etc. 13. Poorly compliant patients 14. Rifaximin - Pregnancy Category C- There are no adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant women. Rifaximin has been shown to be teratogenic in rats and rabbits at doses that caused maternal toxicity. Female study subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test and agree to use an acceptable method of contraception throughout the study. Participants that are breastfeeding are excluded. 15. Decompensated cirrhosis (i.e., history of variceal bleeding or ascites) 16. Total bilirubin = 2mg/dL or albumin \< 3.5g/dL or international normalized ratio (INR) \> 1.7 17. Patients with a calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \< 60mL/min/1.73m2 18. Patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score \> 7) 19. Patients with untreated viral hepatitis 20. No prior episode of overt HE, not on therapy for overt HE, not on any psycho- active medications apart from stable doses of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. 21. No concurrent use of P-glycoprotein inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine) 22. Current abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs