ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03257098Updated Sep 10, 2020

Allogeneic ABCB5-positive Stem Cells for Treatment of CVU

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of allo-APZ2-CVU in Skin Ulcer Venous Stasis Chronic, sponsored by RHEACELL GmbH & Co. KG. Completed at 9 sites in Germany. Open to participants aged 35 Years to 85 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-09-10.

Sponsored by RHEACELL GmbH & Co. KG · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
31
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
35 Years to 85 Years
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-12

Among 24 studies in Varicose Ulcer with a site in Germany — 3 open to participants now, 5 under way, 2 of them phase 3. Varicose Ulcer · Germany.

Enrollment
19th of 21
31 · median 152
Started
2017
the only one that year
Phase 1/2
2 of 24
none open now
Registered
11th of 24
by date
Lead sponsor
4 of 24
RHEACELL GmbH & Co. KG

Among the 24 studies in Varicose Ulcer with a site in Germany, this one is the 19th largest by enrollment of the 21 interventional ones, is the only one that started in 2017, is one of 2 in phase 1/2, and was the 11th registered.

By phase

24 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.

No phase10 · 1 open
Phase 36 · 1 open
Observational3 · 0 open
Phase 1/2this study2 · 0 open
Phase 22 · 0 open
Phase 41 · 1 open

By the year they started

First in 2003; this study’s year is marked. 1 started in 2017.

Size and results

Median enrollment 152 across the 21 interventional studies, 105 across the 3 observational. Of the 19 that completed or were terminated, 8 (42%) have results posted.

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Watch this landscapeDownload CSVWith an account: a weekly mail of what changed among 24 studies in Varicose Ulcer with a site in Germany, or all of them as a file.
02

Study summary

The aim of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy (by monitoring the wound size reduction of Chronic Venous Ulcers) and safety (by monitoring adverse events) of the medicinal product to be studied after two applications on the wound surface in patients with Chronic Venous Ulcers.

Read the detailed description

This is an interventional, single arm, phase I/IIa clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of allogeneic ABCB5-positive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on wound healing in patients with chronic venous ulcer (CVU). Allogeneic MSCs will be isolated ex vivo and will be expanded in vitro. The IMP incorporating the ABCB5-positive MSCs will then be applied on the wound surface of CVU under local anesthesia (on Day 0 and Week 6.1).

Wound measurements from Visit (V) 2 and V9 will be used to determine the cell amount for the IMP treatments on V3 and V10, respectively.

Patients are followed up for efficacy for 3 months which allows to distinguish actual wound healing from transient wound coverage.

The wound healing process will be documented by standardized photography. The wound size evaluation will start on the day of the first change of wound dressing. The quality of the wound healing process will be assessed on the basis of formation of granulation tissue, epithelialization and wound exudation.

Pain will be assessed using a numerical rating scale and quality of life will be investigated with standardized and validated questionnaires. To assess long-term safety of allo-APZ2-CVU three follow-up visits at Months 6, 9 and 12 after the first IMP applications are included.

03

Conditions studied

  • Skin Ulcer Venous Stasis Chronic

Keywords

  • Chronic Venous Ulcer
  • ABCB5
  • Allogeneic
  • Mesenchymal stem cells
  • varicose ulcer
  • skin ulcer
  • advanced therapy medicinal product
  • somatic cell therapy
  • phase I/IIa
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
35 Years to 85 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Male or female patients aged 35 to 85 years;
  2. Chronic venous leg ulcer (as defined by the current AWMF guidelines: therapy resistant ulcer that shows no improvement within 3 months despite of optimal phlebological therapies or is not healed within 12 months) diagnosed by doppler ultrasonography (DUS), ankle brachial index (ABI, 0.9-1.3), physical examination and dermatological review;
  3. Wound size of target ulcer between 1.5 and 100 cm2 measured by a standardized photography at the screening visits (Visit 1 and Visit 2);
  4. Wound location below knee;
  5. If patients are suffering from 2 or more ulcers at the same extremity, the target ulcer has to be separated by a minimum bridge of 1 cm of epithelialized skin from other ulcers (the largest ulcer should be the target ulcer, if not decided otherwise at discretion of the investigator; the target ulcer is defined at Visit 1);
  6. (BMI) between 20 and 45 kg/m²;
  7. Patients understand the nature of the procedure and are providing written prior to any clinical trial procedure;
  8. Women of must have a negative blood pregnancy test at Visit 1
  9. Women of childbearing potential and their partner must be willing to use highly effective methods during the course of the clinical trial.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Evidence of the ulcer extending to the underlying muscle, tendon, or bone;
  2. Current use of systemic medication above Cushing threshold dose (>7.5 mg/d prednisone or equivalent);
  3. Diabetes mellitus that has to be evaluated by blood test ( [HbA1c] >7.5%);
  4. Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) including claudication with need of treatment;
  5. Acute deep vein thrombosis (maximum 30 days from diagnosis) or a still untreated deep vein thrombosis;
  6. Unable to tolerate leg ulcer compression bandage;
  7. Infection of the target ulcer requiring treatment as judged clinically;
  8. Any chronic dermatological disorders diagnosed at the investigator's discretion;
  9. Skin disorders, unrelated to the ulcer, that are present adjacent to the target wound;
  10. Current use of medications that influence wound healing: systemic immunosuppressives, cytotoxic medicinal products, and systemic steroids (above Cushing-threshold level);
  11. Known abuse of alcohol, drugs, or medicinal products;
  12. Cancerous or pre-cancerous lesions adjacent to the target wound;
  13. Patients anticipated to be unwilling or unable to comply with the requirements of the protocol;
  14. Pregnant or lactating women;
  15. Systemic infectious disease diagnosed by serology testing (HIV˗1, HIV-2);
  16. Any known allergies to components of the IMP;
  17. Prior surgical procedures such as bypass or mesh-graft treatment within 2 months prior to Visit 1;
  18. Patients with significant ulcer healing or wound size enlargement of more than 25% at Visit 2 compared to Visit 1;
  19. Treatment of target ulcer with active wound care agents (e.g. iruxol, local antibiotics or silver dressings), which have not been paused 14 days before IMP application;
  20. Current or previous (within 30 days of enrollment) treatment with another IMP, or participation and/or under follow-up in another clinical trial;
  21. Previous participation in this clinical trial (except for screening failures due to an inclusion or exclusion criterion);
  22. Evidence of any other medical conditions (such as psychiatric illness, physical examination, or laboratory findings) that may interfere with the planned treatment, affect the patient's compliance, or place the patient at high risk of complications related to the treatment;
  23. Employees of the sponsor, or employees or relatives of the investigator.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(7)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

HbA1c

A blood test of average blood sugar over the past two to three months, given as a percentage or in mmol/mol. 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more is the usual threshold for diabetes, normally confirmed by a second test.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
31 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    allo-APZ2-CVU

    Application of IMP on patients wound

    Biological: allo-APZ2-CVU

Interventions

  • Biologicalallo-APZ2-CVU

    Suspension of ABCB5-positive mesenchymal stem cells

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of wound size reduction

    Percentage of wound size reduction at Week 12, or last available post-baseline measurement of Weeks 6, 8 or 10 if the Week 12 measurement is missing (last observation carried forward \[LOCF\]).

    Time frame: Week 12 post baseline, or last available post-baseline measurement if the Week 12 measurement is missing

  2. Assessment of adverse event (AE) occurrence

    All AEs occurring during the clinical trial will be registered, documented and evaluated.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percentage of wound size reduction

    Time frame: Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.1, 6.2, 8, 10, and 12 (without LOCF);

  2. Absolute wound size reduction

    Time frame: Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.1, 6.2, 8, 10, and 12

  3. Proportion of patients achieving complete wound closure

    Time frame: Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and at any time point

  4. Time to first complete wound closure

    Time frame: A priori specification not possible; between baseline and week 12 post baseline

  5. Proportion of patients achieving 30% wound closure

    Time frame: Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.1, 6.2, 8, 10, 12, and at any time point

  6. Time to first 30% wound closure

    Time frame: A priori specification not possible; between baseline and week 12 post baseline

  7. Epithelialization

    Time frame: Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.1, 6.2, 8, 10, and 12

  8. Assessment of further wound healing parameters: formation of granulation tissue and wound exudation

    Time frame: Visit 3 and Visit 10 before IMP application, Days 1 to 3 and 8, Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.2, 8, 10, and 12

  9. Pain assessment as per numerical rating scale (NRS)

    Time frame: Days 0, 1 to 3 and 8, Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.1, 6.2, 8, 10, and 12

  10. Assessment of quality of life (QoL) using the short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire

    Time frame: Day 0 and Weeks 4, 8 and 12

  11. Assessment of dermatology-specific quality of life based on the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire

    Time frame: Day 0 and Weeks 4, 8 and 12

  12. Physical examination and vital signs at Week 6.1 and Week 12

    Time frame: Week 6.1 and Week 12

07

Study locations

9 sites
  • Venenzentrum der Dermatologischen und Gefäßchirurgischen Kliniken, Kliniken der Ruhr-Universität Bochum im St. Maria Hilf Krankenhaus
    Bochum, 44805, Germany
  • Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hautklinik
    Erlangen, 91054, Germany
  • Klinik und Poliklinik für Hautkrankheiten, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald
    Greifswald, 17475, Germany
  • Klinische Forschung Hamburg GmbH, Dermatologie / Allergologie
    Hamburg, 20253, Germany
  • pro scientia med im Mare Klinikum; Department Klinische Forschung und Entwicklung
    Kiel, 24119, Germany
  • Universitätsklinikum Münster, Klinik für Hautkrankheiten, Allgemeine Dermatologie und Venerologie
    Münster, 48149, Germany
  • Klinische Forschung Schwerin GmbH
    Schwerin, 19055, Germany
  • Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Klinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie
    Ulm, 89081, Germany
  • Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
    Würzburg, 97080, Germany
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Kerstan A, Niebergall-Roth E, Esterlechner J, Schroder HM, Gasser M, Waaga-Gasser AM, Goebeler M, Rak K, Schrufer P, Endres S, Hagenbusch P, Kraft K, Dieter K, Ballikaya S, Stemler N, Sadeghi S, Tappenbeck N, Murphy GF, Orgill DP, Frank NY, Ganss C, Scharffetter-Kochanek K, Frank MH, Kluth MA. Ex vivo-expanded highly pure ABCB5+ mesenchymal stromal cells as Good Manufacturing Practice-compliant autologous advanced therapy medicinal product for clinical use: process validation and first in-human data. Cytotherapy. 2021 Feb;23(2):165-175. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.08.012. Epub 2020 Oct 1. PubMed 33011075 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Nov 2017 to primary completion in Jun 2020, 31 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 17, 2017
First posted
Aug 22, 2017
StartActual
Nov 16, 2017
Primary completionActual
Jun 25, 2020
CompletionActual
Jun 25, 2020
Last update
Sep 10, 2020
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 10, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03257098
Lead sponsor
RHEACELL GmbH & Co. KG
Collaborators
FGK Clinical Research GmbH, Ticeba GmbH, Granzer Regulatory Consulting & Services
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 22, 2017
Start date
Nov 16, 2017
Primary completion
Jun 25, 2020
Completion
Jun 25, 2020
Last update
Sep 10, 2020

Study contacts

Andreas Kerstan, Dr.
principal investigator · Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Würzburg

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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