ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03468322Updated Apr 16, 2019

A Double-blind, Intra-individual Comparison, POC Trial of AC-203 in EB Patients

A Phase 2 interventional study of AC-203 and Vehicle in Inherited Epidermolysis Bullosa, sponsored by TWi Biotechnology, Inc.. Completed at 2 sites in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 2 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-04-16.

Sponsored by TWi Biotechnology, Inc. · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

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Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
9
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
2 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a genetic skin disorder characterized by skin fragility and recurrent blister formation. More and more evidence has suggested that the skin lesions initially caused by genetic mutations may be further aggravated by inflammatory responses. Several reports showed successful alleviation of EB symptoms upon treatment with immunomodulatory therapies. Modulation of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β has shown promising results in alleviating epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS), a major subtype of inherited EB, by downregulating IL-1β-mediated JNK/MAPK signaling pathway. This data further supports the potential of using cytokine modulators to treat EB.

AC-203, a topical formulation, can inhibit the production and activity of IL-1β, down-regulate IL-1β receptors, and increase IL1β-receptor antagonist (IL1-Ra) expression. In addition, AC-203 has been reported to inhibit anti-BP180 autoantibody-induced IL-6/IL-8 upregulation in cultured keratinocytes and LPS-induced IL-6 upregulation in cultured macrophages. Furthermore, AC-203 was also found to inhibit the formation of NLRP3 inflammasome, which plays essential roles in induction of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis and release of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. These studies demonstrated the cytokine modulatory properties of AC-203 and pointed out the possible application of AC-203 in a variety of inflammatory diseases.

This study is designed to test the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of AC-203 ointment (vs. placebo) in patients with inherited EB.

02

Conditions studied

  • Inherited Epidermolysis Bullosa

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03

In context

Epidermolysis Bullosa

85 studies on the registry are indexed under Epidermolysis Bullosa; 17 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 9 is below the median of 14 across 67 interventional studies indexed under Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Browse Epidermolysis Bullosa studies →

Lead sponsor

TWi Biotechnology, Inc. is the lead sponsor of 11 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
2 Years and older
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. Subject is at least 2 years of age.
  2. Subject has a clinical diagnosis of EB.
  3. Subject has a laboratory confirmed diagnosis of inherited EB based on electron microscopy and/or immunofluorescence antigenic mapping.
  4. Subject has two comparable areas with 1% - 5% BSA each. These two areas could be on any body surface except the face, scalp, groin, palms and soles. Percentage BSA of the designated areas within subject should be the same. Comparable areas are defined as having similar lesion (i.e., blisters, erosions, erythema and crusts) history and current lesion status by investigator's judgement on each area at Screening Visit (Visit 1) and Day 1 (Visit 2).
  5. Is male, or is female and meets all the following criteria:

    1. Not breastfeeding
    2. If of (defined as non-post-hysterectomy or non- [≥50 years of age and amenorrheic for at least 1 year]), must have a negative pregnancy test result at Visit 1, and must practice and be willing to continue to practice appropriate during the entire duration of the study.
  6. Is able to read, understand, and sign the Form (ICF), answer the study questionnaires, communicate with the investigator, and understand and comply with protocol requirements, OR Informed consent received from subject's parents/caregiver or legal guardian (when subject \< 20 years).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject has a current , or a history of treatment for a malignancy within two years.
  2. Systemic infections.
  3. Subjects who are pregnant, lactating, or planning a pregnancy during the study.
  4. History of allergy or to any component of study medication.
  5. Any other significant diseases, conditions, or laboratory values which, in the opinion of the investigator, might make participation not in the subject's best interest or confound the interpretation of study results.
  6. Any prior use of approved or biologic anti-inflammatory therapy within 6 months prior to screening, including but not limited to: anakinra, rilonacept, canakinumab, etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, rituximab, certolizumab, golimumab, tocilizumab, bertilimumab, or abatacept.
  7. Use of non- including but not limited to azathioprine, mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, methotrexate, tacrolimus, or cyclosporine in the 2 weeks prior to screening.
  8. Has been treated with gentamicin within 90 days prior to screening (Note: products containing gentamicin used on eyes are allowed).
  9. Has been treated with minocycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline or doxycycline within 7 days prior to screening.
  10. Subjects has used any topical allantoin ≥ 3% within 30 days prior to screening.
  11. Has been treated systemic steroid within 30 days prior to screening.
  12. Prior treatment with any investigational therapy within 30 days prior to screening.
  13. Is an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, or sibling; biological or legally adopted) of personnel directly affiliated with the study at the clinical study site, or is directly affiliated with the study at the clinical study site.
  14. Is employed by sponsor (i.e., is an employee, temporary contract worker, or designee responsible for the conduct of the study).
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(9)

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.

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.

Postmenopausal

Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).

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.

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.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

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.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
9 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    AC-203 1% ointment

    AC-203 1% ointment, QD

    Drug: AC-203

  • Placebo comparator
    Vehicle ointment

    Vehicle ointment, QD

    Drug: Vehicle

Interventions

  • DrugAC-203

    The investigational product is formulated as 1% topical ointment

  • DrugVehicle

    Vehicle-only control study medication is the same formulation as investigational product without active ingredient

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage change in lesion surface area from baseline by treatment

    Time frame: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 Weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percentage change in blister number from baseline by treatment

    Time frame: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 Weeks

  2. Proportion of subjects with at least 40% reduction in blister number from baseline by treatment

    Time frame: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 Weeks

  3. Pruritus assessment scale changes from baseline by treatment

    100-mm line (anchored at 0 mm for no pruritus, 100 mm for worst possible pruritus)

    Time frame: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 Week

  4. Pain assessment scale changes from baseline by treatment

    100-mm line (anchored at 0 mm for no pruritus, 100 mm for worst possible pruritus)

    Time frame: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 Weeks

  5. IL-1beta concentrations and changes from baseline

    Time frame: 8 Weeks

  6. hsCRP concentrations and changes from baseline

    Time frame: 8 Weeks

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Mackay Memorial Hospital
    Hsinchu, Taiwan
  • National Cheng Kung University Hospital
    Tainan, Taiwan
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Oct 2018 to primary completion in Apr 2019, 5 months.

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

Registered
Mar 8, 2018
First posted
Mar 16, 2018
StartActual
Oct 20, 2018
Primary completionActual
Apr 9, 2019
CompletionActual
Apr 9, 2019
Last update
Apr 16, 2019
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 Apr 16, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03468322
Lead sponsor
TWi Biotechnology, Inc.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 16, 2018
Start date
Oct 20, 2018
Primary completion
Apr 9, 2019
Completion
Apr 9, 2019
Last update
Apr 16, 2019

Oversight

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 Apr 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Studies of the drug tested here: Diacerein

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