CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02029716Updated May 28, 2025

RTA 408 Lotion in Healthy Volunteers

A Phase 1 interventional study of RTA 408 Lotion 0.5%, 1%, 3% and Lotion vehicle/placebo in Healthy, sponsored by Biogen. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-28.

Sponsored by Biogen · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
109
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study is a first-in-human study of a topical dermal lotion formulation of RTA 408, a novel small molecule which suppresses oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, the safety, local pharmacodynamics (PD), and systemic pharmacokinetics (PK) of RTA 408 will be evaluated following topical application of RTA 408 Lotion to healthy volunteers. This study will be conducted in three parts. In Part A of the study, healthy volunteers will have RTA 408 Lotion Vehicle and RTA 408 Lotion (0.5%, 1%, and 3%) applied to a small skin surface area (four individual 4-cm2 sites; 16 cm2 total area) twice daily for 14 days to assess the local skin tolerability, local PD, and systemic PK of these treatments. Part B will be conducted after completion of Part A and will assess the safety, tolerability, local PD, and systemic PK of RTA 408 Lotion applied topically twice daily for 14 days to a larger skin surface area (\~100 cm2). Part C will be conducted after completion of Part B and will assess the safety, tolerability, local PD, and systemic PK of RTA 408 Lotion applied topically twice daily for 28 days to a larger skin surface area (\~500 cm2). The maximum tolerated drug concentration in Part A will be used in Part B and Part C.

Approximately 32 healthy adult volunteers will be enrolled in this study with 12 volunteers in Part A and 10 volunteers each, in Parts B and C.

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy

Keywords

  • RTA 408
  • RTA 408 Lotion
  • Oxidative stress
  • Inflammation
  • Volunteers
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Biogen is the lead sponsor of 494 studies on the registry; 22 are open to participants now.

Of its 98 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 49 (50%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  1. Subjects must voluntarily give written informed consent and agree to comply with visit schedule including willingness to remain at the study site;
  2. Subjects must be adults (male or female), ages 18 to 65, inclusive;
  3. Subjects must have healthy skin on which reddening can easily be recognized (Fitzpatrick type I-IV skin);
  4. The planned application site must have unbroken skin (ie, free from cuts, scratches, and abrasions), and be free of excessive hair, tattoos, or other abnormality that, in the Investigator's judgement, would interfere with the conduct of the study;
  5. Subjects must have a body mass index (BMI) of ≥18 kg/m2 and ≤32 kg/m2;
  6. Women must be of non-childbearing potential and may not be pregnant, lactating, or breast-feeding.
  7. Male subjects must agree that they and any female partners will use 2 acceptable forms of contraception, 1 of which must be a condom, until 3 months after the last dose of study drug.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Persons with Fitzpatrick skin types V or VI;
  2. Presence of active inflammatory dermatoses (eg, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis), bacterial, viral, or fungal skin infections;
  3. History of clinically significant drug allergies including allergies to any of the components of the investigational product and/or clinically significant food allergies as determined by the Investigator;
  4. Use of any alcohol or methylxanthine-containing beverages or food (eg, coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and "power drinks") from 72 hours prior to the first dose of study drug until after the last protocol specified blood sample;
  5. Use of any tobacco products, nicotine-containing products, or pharmacologic smoking cessation therapy during the 3 months immediately prior to the first dose of study drug, and/or not willing or able to refrain from use of any of these products for the duration of the study until after the last protocol specified blood sample;
  6. History of alcohol abuse within 2 years of the Screening Visit, in the judgment of the Investigator, or average weekly alcohol consumption of >14 alcoholic drinks. One drink is defined as 1 glass of beer (approximately 10 oz to 12 oz) or 1 can (12 oz) of beer, 1 glass of wine (approximately 4 oz to 5 oz), or 1 glass of distilled spirits (hard liquor) containing 1 oz of the liquor (1 oz of liquid is approximately 30 mL);
  7. Positive breath test for alcohol at the Screening Visit or at Day -1;
  8. History of drug abuse within 2 years of the Screening Visit, in the judgment of the Investigator;
  9. Positive urine test for cotinine or drugs of abuse (ie, opiates, methadone, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabinoids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines) at the Screening Visit or at Day -1;
  10. Not willing to abstain from strenuous exercise (eg, heavy lifting, weight training, calisthenics, aerobics) for at least 48 hours prior to admission to the investigational site until after the last protocol specified blood sample;
  11. Use of substances known to be strong inhibitors or inducers of Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes (eg, ritonavir, ketoconazole, nefazodone, grapefruit juice) within 14 days prior to the first dose of study drug through the last study visit. Chronic exposure to enzyme inducers such as paint solvents or pesticides or other investigational drug use within 30 days prior to study drug administration;
  12. Use of prescription drugs, dietary supplements, or herbal remedies (including products applied topically) within 14 days or 5 half-lives (whichever is longer) prior to the first dose of study drug; use of non-prescription drugs or vitamins (including products applied topically) within 7 days prior to the first dose of study drug; or unwillingness to refrain from taking any such medication until after the last protocol specified blood sample;
  13. Donation of whole blood >450 mL or blood products within 56 days prior to admission to the investigational site;
  14. Use of any investigational drug within 30 days or 5 half-lives of the previous investigational drug prior to the first dose of study drug in this study, whichever is longer;
  15. Positive screen for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and/or hepatitis C at the Screening Visit;
  16. Acute illness accompanied by temperature ≥101○F within 5 days prior to study drug administration;
  17. Presence or history of cancer within 5 years prior to the Screening Visit (other than basal cell skin cancer in a location other than the back and without active lesions and adequately treated carcinoma in situ of cervix);
  18. Presence or history of any significant cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, pulmonary, hematologic, endocrine, immunologic, dermatologic, neurologic disease
  19. Presence of any other condition (including surgery) known to interfere with the absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of medicines. History of appendectomy and cholecystectomy is permitted;
  20. Any abnormal clinical laboratory value or abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) finding at the Screening Visit or at Day -1 that is considered clinically significant by the Investigator;
  21. International Normalized Ratio (INR) >1.5 at the Screening Visit;
  22. Men whose female partner is pregnant or lactating, or who plans to become pregnant during the study or within 3 months after the end of the study;
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
109 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    Part A

    RTA 408 lotion 0.5%, 1%, and 3% and lotion vehicle applied to skin twice daily for 14 days

    Drug: RTA 408 Lotion 0.5%, 1%, 3% · Drug: Lotion vehicle/placebo

  • Experimental
    Part B

    Up to 3% RTA 408 lotion applied to skin twice daily for 14 days (% concentration to be determined, based on results from Part A, \~100 cm2 surface area)

    Drug: RTA 408 Lotion 0.5%, 1%, 3%

  • Experimental
    Part C

    3% RTA 408 lotion applied to skin twice daily for 28 days (\~500 cm2 surface area)

    Drug: RTA 408 Lotion 0.5%, 1%, 3%

Interventions

  • DrugRTA 408 Lotion 0.5%, 1%, 3%
  • DrugLotion vehicle/placebo
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Skin changes or redness following topical application of RTA 408 lotion or lotion vehicle

    Time frame: 14 days

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Medpace Clinical Pharmacology Unit
    Cincinnati, Ohio 45212, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Reisman SA, Goldsberry AR, Lee CY, O'Grady ML, Proksch JW, Ward KW, Meyer CJ. Topical application of RTA 408 lotion activates Nrf2 in human skin and is well-tolerated by healthy human volunteers. BMC Dermatol. 2015 Jul 14;15:10. doi: 10.1186/s12895-015-0029-7. PubMed 26170027 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — In accordance with Biogen's Clinical Trial Transparency and Data Sharing Policy on https://www.biogentrialtransparency.com/

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 28, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02029716
Lead sponsor
Biogen
Collaborators
AbbVie
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 8, 2014
Start date
Dec 31, 2013
Primary completion
Apr 1, 2014
Completion
Apr 1, 2014
Last update
May 28, 2025

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion