ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07049328IL-2Updated Sep 15, 2026

HCW9302 (Interleukin-2 Fusion Protein) for Alopecia Areata

A Phase 1 interventional study of HCW9302, an IL-2 fusion protein in Alopecia Areata(AA), sponsored by HCW Biologics. Recruiting at 3 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-15.

Sponsored by HCW Biologics · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Aug 2025; still recruiting 1 year 2 months later.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a Phase 1, open-label, multi-center, competitive enrollment, and dose-escalation study of HCW9302 in subjects with Alopecia Areata (AA)

Read the detailed description

The study involves dose escalation to determine the toxicity profile of HCW9302 and to designate a dose level for the Phase 2 expansion phase (RP2D).

Up to five HCW9302 dose levels will be evaluated. A step-down dose level (level -1) will be provided in the event that unacceptable toxicity is encountered at the planned initial dose level. In the first stage of the study, HCW9302 will be administered subcutaneously as a single dose. Depending on the results of the single ascending dose stage, a multidose study of HCW9302 administered subcutaneously every 28 days for 4 consecutive treatments will be considered.

02

Conditions studied

  • Alopecia Areata(AA)

Keywords

  • Alopecia
  • Interleukin-2 (IL-2)
  • T-Reg
03

In context

Alopecia Areata

220 studies on the registry are indexed under Alopecia Areata; 61 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 50 across 171 interventional studies indexed under Alopecia Areata.

Browse Alopecia Areata studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with HCW Biologics as lead sponsor.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 70 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. Adult women who are 18 to 70 years of age, or adult males who are 18 to 60 years of age at the time of .
  2. Clinical diagnosis of Alopecia Areata (AA) (including ophiasis, totalis or universalis forms) at Screening.
  3. Negative serum pregnancy test within 14 days of treatment start if female and of (non-childbearing is defined as greater than one year or surgically sterilized).
  4. Female subjects of childbearing potential must adhere to using a highly effective medically accepted method of (defined as those with failure less than 1%; see Appendix 2) prior to screening and agree to continue its use for at least 28 days after the last dose of HCW9302 or be surgically sterilized (e.g., hysterectomy or tubal ligation) and males must agree to use a barrier method of birth control and agree to continue its use for at least 28 days after the last dose of HCW9302.
  5. Laboratory tests performed within 28 days of treatment start:

    1. (AGC/ANC) ≥ 1,500/μL (≥1.5 × 109/L)
    2. ≥ 100,000/μL (≥ 100 × 109/L)
    3. ≥ 10 g/dL (>100g/L)
    4. Calculated (GFR)* >40 mL/min OR serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 ×
    5. Total ≤ 2.0 × ULN or ≤ 3.0 × ULN for subjects with Gilbert's syndrome
    6. , ALT, ALP ≤ 2.0 × ULN
  6. Able and willing to comply with requested study visits and procedures.
  7. Able and willing to provide written informed consent and HIPAA authorization

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Men and women (of ) unwilling to use and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
  2. Patient has primarily "diffuse" type AA (characterized by diffuse hair shedding)
  3. Presence of another form of alopecia
  4. Prior use of any of the following treatments: a. Aldesleukin b. IL-2 analog
  5. Concurrent use of oral or topical treatments targeting hair growth or hair restoration (including but not limited to finasteride, dutasteride, topical minoxidil or oral minoxidil) if discontinuation or dosage change is planned during the study period.
  6. Prior use of phototherapy and any systemic (systemic , cyclosporin, methotrexate or any other immunosuppressive therapy) or immunomodulating biologic therapy (including but not limited to dupilumab, tralokinumab, lebrikizumab, nemolizumab, rocatinlimab, or daxdilimab, whether marketed or investigational) within 3 months prior to Screening.
  7. Prior use of any B-cell depleting agents, whether marketed or investigational, including but not limited to rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, or belimumab, within 6 months prior to Screening.
  8. Known or history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to the agents used in the study.
  9. History of diabetes mellitus, regardless of whether it is controlled or not.
  10. History of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled arrhythmias, cardiac revascularization, stroke, uncontrolled hypertension, or uncontrolled diabetes within 6 months prior to Screening.
  11. Significant organ dysfunction that is unstable or inadequately treated within 6 months prior to Screening.
  12. History of cancer or lymphoproliferative disease, except for the following: adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer without current evidence of disease.
  13. Currently receiving any chronic systemic (oral or intravenous) anti-infective therapy for chronic infection (such as pneumocystis, cytomegalovirus, herpes zoster, or atypical mycobacteria).
  14. Active tuberculosis (TB) (based on TB blood test or a TB skin test) or a history of inadequately treated TB.
  15. Herpes zoster or cytomegalovirus (CMV) that resolved less than 2 months prior to Screening. Subjects with a history of frequent outbreaks of Herpes Simplex Virus (defined as 4 or more outbreaks a year).
  16. Major surgery within 3 months prior to Screening visit or has a major surgery planned during the study.
  17. Active systemic infection requiring parenteral antibiotic/antiviral therapy. All prior infections must have resolved following optimal therapy.
  18. Prior organ allograft or transplantation.
  19. Positive based on serological screening for (HIV), or at screening.
  20. Any ongoing toxicity from prior therapies that, in the judgment of the Investigator, may interfere with study treatment. All toxicities attributed to prior therapy must resolve to grade 1 or baseline before administration of the study treatment.
  21. Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  22. Other skin conditions that would interfere with study assessments of AA.
  23. Other illness or a medical issue that in the opinion of the Investigator would exclude the subject from participating in this study.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(20)

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.

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.

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.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)

GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².

Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.

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.

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.

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.

Reproductive potential

Able to have children. For women this usually means from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery; for men, unless permanently sterile. Read who the line is about — participants, women, men, or their partners.

Criteria about it usually ask for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Allogeneic and autologous transplant

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants. Allogeneic uses cells from a donor; autologous uses your own cells, collected earlier and given back.

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.

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.

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.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Study of HCW9302, an IL-2 fusion protein, for alopecia areata

    Single dose subcutaneous injection of HCW9302.

    Drug: HCW9302, an IL-2 fusion protein

Interventions

  • DrugHCW9302, an IL-2 fusion protein

    Injection

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) in Subjects Receiving HCW9302 Monotherapy

    Evaluate the safety profile of HCW9302 monotherapy in subjects with Alopecia Areata (AA), based on the incidence, type, and severity of adverse events (AEs) classified according to MedDRA.

    Time frame: 9 Weeks

  2. Designate the recommended Phase 2 dose level (RP2D) for Phase 2 study of HCW9302 in subjects with AA

    Time frame: 9 Weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Determine the percent change from baseline of Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score (0-100) at Day 29 and Week 9 in AA subjects receiving HCW9302

    A SALT score of 0 indicates no hair loss, while a score of 100 signifies complete hair loss.

    Time frame: 9 Weeks

  2. Determine the change from baseline of Alopecia Areata-Investigator Global Assessment (AA-IGA) score at Day 29 and Week 9 in AA subjects receiving HCW9302

    The AA-IGA contains 5 categories: 0 = None (SALT score of 0%); 1 = Limited (SALT score of 1% - 20%); 2 = Moderate (SALT score of 21% - 49%); 3 = Severe (SALT score of 50% - 94%); and 4 = Very Severe (SALT score of 95% - 100%).

    Time frame: 9 Weeks

07

Study locations

3 of 3 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 15, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07049328
Lead sponsor
HCW Biologics
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 3, 2025
Start date
Aug 16, 2025
Primary completion
Jul 16, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 15, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 15, 2026

Study contacts

Pallavi Chaturvedi, PhD.
Contact
clinical@hcwbiologics.com
19548422024

Oversight

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

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion