A Phase 2 interventional study of Artesunate and Placebo in Anal High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion, Anal Precancerous Condition and AIN 2/3, sponsored by Frantz Viral Therapeutics, LLC. Active, not recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-18.
Sponsored by Frantz Viral Therapeutics, LLC · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
This is a phase II double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study of Artesunate suppositories for the treatment of HIV-negative men and women who have anal high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (anal HSIL)
Eligible participants in this study are randomized 2:1 to receive either artesunate or placebo suppositories for the treatment of anal HSIL. Both groups receive four 5-day cycles of suppositories, at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6. At least two of the dosing visits are done in person. The remaining dosing visits may be done as telehealth visits (suppositories are mailed to the patient's home). Participants are followed closely with anoscopy or high resolution anoscopy (HRA) at weeks 8, 18, 30, and 42. After the week 18 HRA visit, participants who have at least partial response will be followed with HRA at week 30.
Participants who are found to be non-responders at week 18 will undergo standard of care ablation.
Participants who are found to have anal HSIL at weeks 30 or 42 will be followed according to standard of care procedures.
Primary Objective: To evaluate the complete and partial histopathologic response to four 5-day cycles of artesunate suppositories in adult patients with biopsy-proven HPV-associated intra-anal HSIL (18 weeks).
Secondary Objectives:
Efficacy:
Safety:
To evaluate the safety of artesunate suppositories for the treatment of intra-anal HSIL.
576 studies on the registry are indexed under Papillomavirus Infections; 132 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 17 is below the median of 235 across 402 interventional studies indexed under Papillomavirus Infections.
Browse Papillomavirus Infections studies →Frantz Viral Therapeutics, LLC is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
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.
Laboratory values at Screening of:
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.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
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.
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
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.
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.
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.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
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.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
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.
ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ULN (upper limit of normal)
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Bilirubin
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ECG (electrocardiogram)
A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
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.
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.
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.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Four 5-day cycles of artesunate suppositories
Drug: Artesunate
Four 5-day cycles of placebo suppositories
Drug: Placebo
artesunate formulated as intra-anal suppositories
Also known as: Artesunic acid, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), artemisinin
placebo intra-anal suppository
Number of subjects with complete and partial response by week 18
Number of participants who achieve complete or partial response after 4 5-day cycles of artesunate as determined by HRA-directed biopsy(ies)
Time frame: 18 weeks
Number of participants who have achieved clearance of detectable human papilloma virus (HPV) over the study window
Number of participants who had HPV strains detected at study entry which become undetectable within the study window
Time frame: 42 weeks
Number of participants with complete and partial response after week 18 but over the study window
Number of participants who achieve complete or partial response after week 18, as documented by HRA-directed biopsy(ies)
Time frame: 30 weeks
Number of participants who achieve complete and partial response of peri-anal HSIL, following 4 cycles of intra-anal artesunate suppositories, as determined by HRA-directed biopsy
Number of participants who had both peri-anal and intra-anal HSIL, whose peri-anal HSIL achieves complete or partial response following 4 cycles of intra-anal artesunate suppositories
Time frame: 42 weeks
Number of participants who undergo complete response who maintain their response over the study window
Number of participants who complete or partial response who maintain this response over the study window
Time frame: 42 weeks
Number of participants with Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (TEAE)
Number of participants who had adverse events, as defined by CTCAE v5.0, related to the study intervention
Time frame: 12 weeks
Number of participants who withdrew from the study due to TEAEs
Number of participants who were withdrawn from the study due to adverse events related to the study drug
Time frame: 12 weeks
Changes in vital signs over the study window
Number of participants who had clinically significant changes in vital signs
Time frame: 42 weeks
Changes in physical examination abnormalities
Number of participants who had clinically significant changes in physical examination abnormalities
Time frame: 42 weeks
Clinically significant changes in ECG between baseline and post dosing
Number of participants who had clinical significant changes in ECG between pre-dosing and post dosing
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plan to share: No — No protected health information (PHI) will be shared with other researchers.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Feb 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 46 months after the start.
Of 41 phase 2 interventional studies under Papillomavirus Infections, half reached primary completion within 33 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 77. This study's planned 46 months is above that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in May 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Artesunate
Frantz Viral Therapeutics, LLC