An Early Phase 1 interventional study of Ustekinumab in Ichthyosis, sponsored by Northwestern University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 6 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-12.
Sponsored by Northwestern University · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment
The ichthyoses are a group of lifelong genetic disorders that share characteristics of generalized skin thickening, scaling and underlying cutaneous inflammation. The vast majority are orphan disorders and are associated with extremely poor quality of life related to social ostracism from altered appearance, associated itchiness and discomfort, and functional limitations from the skin disease. Among the more common "orphan" forms of ichthyosis are autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI; includes lamellar ichthyosis/LI and congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma/CIE), Netherton syndrome (NS) and epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI). However, there are dozens of other syndromic and non-syndromic ichthyotic disorders as well. Therapy is time-consuming for patients or parents and is supportive, focusing on clearance of the scaling. There are no therapies based on our growing understanding of what causes the disease. We have recently found marked elevations in Th17/IL-23 pathway cytokines and chemokines in the skin of individuals with ichthyosis, most similar to the inflammatory pattern of psoriasis. While the significance of the high expression of Th17/IL-23 pathway genes across all forms of ichthyosis studied to date is unknown, the high expression of genes of the Th17/IL-23 pathway in psoriasis is thought to be causative for the disease manifestations. We propose that IL-12/IL-23 -targeting therapeutics will safely suppress the inflammation and possibly the other features of ichthyosis, improving quality of life. As a proof-of-concept study, we propose to treat children (6 years of age and higher) and adults with ichthyotic disorders with ustekinumab in an open-label trial to serially assess clinical response to and safety of ustekinumab for this group of disorders.
33 studies on the registry are indexed under Ichthyosis; 11 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 13 is below the median of 26 across 23 interventional studies indexed under Ichthyosis.
Browse Ichthyosis studies →Northwestern University is the lead sponsor of 1,423 studies on the registry; 198 are open to participants now.
Of its 105 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 78 (74%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
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.
Before screening visit, females must be:
, defined as
≥ 45 years of age with amenorrhea for at least 18 months, OR
Surgically sterile (has had a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy, tubal ligation, or otherwise be incapable of pregnancy), or
If heterosexually active, practicing a highly effective method of , including hormonal prescription oral contraceptives, contraceptive injections, contraceptive patch, intrauterine device, double-barrier method (e.g., condoms, diaphragm, or cervical cap, with spermicidal foam, cream, film, gel or suppository), or male partner sterilization, consistent with local regulations regarding use of birth control methods for subjects participating in clinical trials, for a period of 16 weeks after the last administration of study agent,
OR
Not heterosexually active. Abstinence is allowed as an acceptable form of contraception.
Note: If a woman participant's childbearing potential changes after start of the study (e.g., a premenarchal woman experiences menarche) or if women of childbearing potential who are not heterosexually active at screening become heterosexually active, they must agree to utilize a highly effective method of birth control, as described above.
Female participants of childbearing potential (menstrual and not surgically sterile), must have a negative serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ᵦ-hCG) pregnancy test at screening and a negative urine pregnancy test at Week 0 (prior to screening visit) and agree not to donate eggs (ova, oocytes) for the purposes of assisted reproduction during the study and for a period of 16 weeks after the last administration of study agent.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
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.
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.
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.
Vaccines made with a weakened form of the germ, such as measles–mumps–rubella (MMR), chickenpox and yellow fever. They can be risky when the immune system is weakened. Flu injections are not live; the nasal flu spray is.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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).
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis B tests
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis C tests
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Live vaccines
Vaccines made with a weakened form of the germ, such as measles–mumps–rubella (MMR), chickenpox and yellow fever. They can be risky when the immune system is weakened. Flu injections are not live; the nasal flu spray is.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Drug: Ustekinumab
Each subject will receive ustekinumab at Baseline (Day 0) and Months 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. During the LTE, subjects will receive injections every 8 weeks for one year: Month 13, Month 15, Month 17, Month 19, Month 21, and Month 23. Subjects will come back in for a follow-up visit at Month 25 for an end of study visit (no drug administration).
Reduction in Total Ichthyosis Severity Score
To evaluate the efficacy of ustekinumab for ichthyosis, as measured by an at least 50% reduction in severity using the Ichthyosis Severity Score (ISS) measure. The ISS measures from 0-32, with 0 being the least clinically severe and 32 being the most clinically severe.
Time frame: 7 months after initiation of study drug
Occurence of Bacterial and Fungal Infections
To evaluate the safety of ustekinumab for ichthyosis, based on occurrence of bacterial and fungal infections
Time frame: 7 months after initiation of study drug
| Milestone | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Started | 13 |
| Completed | 13 |
| Not completed | 0 |
To evaluate the efficacy of ustekinumab for ichthyosis, as measured by an at least 50% reduction in severity using the Ichthyosis Severity Score (ISS) measure. The ISS measures from 0-32, with 0 being the least clinically severe and 32 being the most clinically severe.
| units on a scale | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Reduction in Total Ichthyosis Severity Score | -12.2 ± 29.9 |
To evaluate the safety of ustekinumab for ichthyosis, based on occurrence of bacterial and fungal infections
| infections | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Superficial skin infections | 3 |
| Streptococcal throat infection | 2 |
| Onychomycosis | 1 |
Collected over 100 weeks. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Label | 0/13 (0%) | 2/13 (15.4%) | 10/13 (76.9%) |
| Event | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Hospitalization secondary to sepsisInfections and infestations | 2/13 |
| Event | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Skin InfectionSkin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | 4/13 |
| HeadacheGeneral disorders | 3/13 |
| Viral upper respiratory infectionSkin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | 3/13 |
| Abdominal painGastrointestinal disorders | 1/13 |
| AmenorrheaReproductive system and breast disorders | 1/13 |
| Broken wristMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 1/13 |
| COVID-19 InfectionInfections and infestations | 1/13 |
| Dry eyesEye disorders | 1/13 |
| Pustular psoriasis like eruptionSkin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | 1/13 |
| Heat exhaustionGeneral disorders | 1/13 |
| Age, Continuous(years) | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Mean | 11.8 ± 7.8 |
| Sex: Female, Male(Participants) | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Female | 7 |
| Male | 6 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 2 |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 11 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 0 |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized(Participants) | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Race — Black | 1 |
| Race — White | 9 |
| Race — Asian | 1 |
| Race — Mixed | 2 |
| Region of Enrollment(participants) | Open Label |
|---|---|
| United States | 13 |
| Subtype(Participants) | Open Label |
|---|---|
| Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI) | 6 |
| Netherton Syndrome (NS) | 3 |
| KRT10-EI/KRT1-EI | 2 |
| NIPAL4-CIE | 1 |
| GJA-1-Erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva | 1 |
PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Plan to share: No
Ran from Apr 2021 to primary completion in Jan 2024, 33 months.
Results were first posted in Feb 2025, 1 year 1 month after primary completion.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Ustekinumab