Summary
Candesartan Cilexetil has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Hepatitis C would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Hepatitis C. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Candesartan Cilexetil to Hepatitis C: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT03770936). It plans or enrolled 45 participants. Registered activity dates to 2018. No published literature item is linked to Candesartan Cilexetil and Hepatitis C in the OSMF database yet, so the record rests on registry entries alone. Registry entries describe intent to study, not outcomes.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Hepatitis C ranks 357 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous clearance in <30% of acute cases; chronic infection rarely clears without treatment (<1%/year).
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 26.5 (trials 6.5, literature 0.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 0 |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor; inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | AGTR1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03770936 | Effect of Some Drugs on Liver Fibrosis 2018 | recruiting | Phase 3 | 45 |
| NCT00930995 | Angiotensin Receptor Blockade as an Anti-Fibrotic Intervention in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C | withdrawn | Phase 2 | — |
Published literature
No publication is linked to this pair yet.
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor; inhibitor.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target AGTR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Candesartan Cilexetil approved for Hepatitis C?
Candesartan Cilexetil has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Hepatitis C would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Hepatitis C. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Candesartan Cilexetil in clinical trials for Hepatitis C?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Candesartan Cilexetil to Hepatitis C: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT03770936). It plans or enrolled 45 participants. Registered activity dates to 2018.
What does the evidence show for Candesartan Cilexetil in Hepatitis C?
Trials of Candesartan Cilexetil in Hepatitis C are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target AGTR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.