A Phase 1 interventional study of Goeckerman Therapy and Crude Coal Tar Only in Psoriasis Vulgaris and Psoriasis, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-03.
Sponsored by University of California, San Francisco · Phase 1, Interventional, and Basic science
This study examines the effect of Goeckerman therapy (a combination of phototherapy and topical crude coal tar), crude coal tar alone, and phototherapy alone on the immunologic and genetic environment within psoriatic skin lesions.
This is a three-arm, open-label study to examine the effect of Goeckerman therapy. Goeckerman therapy is known for its high efficacy and favorable safety profile in the treatment of psoriasis. It consists of a combination of phototherapy and topical crude coal tar). This study will examine how Goeckerman therapy, crude coal tar alone, and phototherapy alone affect the mmunologic and genetic environment within psoriatic skin lesions. Fifteen subjects with moderate to severe psoriasis will be enrolled. Biopsy samples will be collected and undergo molecular profiling to further elucidate the mechanism of action by which Goeckerman treatment improves psoriatic skin lesions.
1,899 studies on the registry are indexed under Psoriasis; 233 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 4 is below the median of 70 across 1,447 interventional studies indexed under Psoriasis.
Browse Psoriasis studies →University of California, San Francisco is the lead sponsor of 2,132 studies on the registry; 375 are open to participants now.
Of its 262 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 196 (75%) have results posted.
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Exclusion criteria
Patients with psoriasis who will receive Goeckerman therapy 5 days per week for 6 weeks.
Other: Goeckerman Therapy
Patients with psoriasis who will receive narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy 3 days per week for 12 weeks.
Device: Phototherapy Only
Patients with psoriasis who will receive skin treatment with crude coal tar only 5 days per week for 6 weeks.
Drug: Crude Coal Tar Only
The Goeckerman regimen consists of exposure to narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) light phototherapy and application of crude coal tar to the skin 5 days per week. The treatment will occur the UCSF outpatient skin treatment center for approximately 4-5 hours, 5 days a week for 6 weeks (total of 30 sessions). The treatment is consistent with the standard of care Goeckerman treatment protocol at UCSF.
Also known as: Combination Treatment with Phototherapy and Crude Coal Tar, Goeckerman Regimen
A topical medication consisting of crude coal tar will be applied to the psoriatic skin under plastic wrap occlusion for approximately up to 4-5 hours, 5 days a week for 6 weeks (total of 30 sessions), at the outpatient skin treatment center at UCSF.
Also known as: Coal tar
Light treatment with narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy three days per week for 12 weeks at the UCSF Phototherapy Center per the standard UCSF phototherapy protocol, in which starting dose is based on the subject's Fitzpatrick skin type and gradually increased as tolerated. Each phototherapy treatment will last approximately from under 1 minute to less than 15 minutes.
Also known as: Ultraviolet B, Narrowband ultraviolet B, NB-UVB, UVB phototherapy, Phototherapy, Light treatment
Number of differentially expressed immune cell populations
Perform quantitative analysis of the immunologic and genetic changes in immune cell populations after treatment with traditional Goeckerman (NBUVB + coal tar), coal tar only, and NB-UVB only, at weeks 2, 4, and 12 compared to baseline week 0. The immunologic profiles will be compared between subjects receiving the traditional Goeckerman therapy (NB-UVB + coal tar), coal tar only, and NB-UVB therapy only.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Number of differentially expressed genes and pathways
Quantify the number of differentially expressed genes in each cell population by RNA-sequencing at weeks 0, 2, 4, 12 after receiving traditional Goeckerman therapy (NB-UVB + coal tar), coal tar only, and NB-UVB therapy only.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Plan to share: No
This study is terminated, as verified in Jul 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of California, San Francisco