A Phase 2 interventional study of Methotrexate and Roflumilast 500 Mcg Oral Tablet in Flexural Psoriasis (Also Known as Inverse or Intertriginous Psoriasis) and Genital Psoriasis, sponsored by Eman Raafat Said. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-22.
Sponsored by Eman Raafat Said · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
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Psoriasis affecting sensitive anatomical regions, such as the skin folds (flexural or inverse psoriasis) and genitalia, presents unique therapeutic challenges. These manifestations often result in a disproportionately high burden of disease, causing significant physical discomfort and a profound negative impact on a patient's quality of life and sexual health. While topical creams are the standard first-line treatment, many patients have "topically resistant" disease that requires a systemic (oral) approach.
This 16-week randomized controlled trial is the first to directly compare two oral medications for these specific sites: roflumilast (a daily 500 mcg pill) and methotrexate (a standard weekly dose). The study's primary objective is to evaluate which treatment is more effective at clearing psoriatic lesions in the skin folds and genital area, and how each drug improves the patient's overall quality of life and symptoms like pruritus (itching).
Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups and are monitored monthly to assess skin clearance, symptom relief, and safety/tolerability. The goal of this research is to provide patients and healthcare providers with evidence-based data on a convenient, oral treatment option that does not require intensive laboratory monitoring.
491 studies on the registry are indexed under Pruritus; 94 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 56 is close to the median of 60 across 423 interventional studies indexed under Pruritus.
Browse Pruritus studies →This is the only study on the registry with Eman Raafat Said as lead sponsor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This arm receives methotrexate at a dose of 0.2-0.4 mg/kg once weekly for 16 weeks. As methotrexate is a well-established standard systemic therapy for psoriasis, it serves as the active control to which the experimental drug is being compared
Drug: Methotrexate
This arm receives oral roflumilast at a fixed dose of 500 mcg once per day for 16 weeks. Since systemic roflumilast is currently used off-label for psoriasis and is the novel intervention being investigated in this study, it is classified as the experimental arm.
Drug: Roflumilast 500 Mcg Oral Tablet
Participants in this arm receive methotrexate at a weight-based dosage of 0.2-0.4 mg/kg administered once weekly for 16 weeks. Distinguishing Details: Methotrexate serves as the established active comparator and is a cornerstone of traditional systemic psoriasis therapy. It distinguishes itself from the experimental arm through its mechanism as a non-biologic immunosuppressant, and its requirement for comprehensive baseline and periodic laboratory monitoring of liver function, kidney function, and complete blood counts to manage potential toxicities. In this study, it is used to provide a benchmark for efficacy in clearing sensitive "special sites" like skin folds and genitalia.
Also known as: MTX
Participants in this arm receive oral roflumilast at a fixed dose of 500 mcg administered once daily for a total of 16 weeks. Distinguishing Details: While roflumilast is a selective and potent phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) inhibitor, this study evaluates its off-label systemic use specifically for flexural and/or genital psoriasis that has proven resistant to topical therapy. Unlike its counterpart apremilast, the protocol for this study involves a fixed dose without an initial titration phase. Furthermore, as a systemic small molecule, it distinguishes itself from traditional therapies by its lack of requirement for intensive, ongoing laboratory blood monitoring
Clinical Success at flexural (I-IGA 0/1) and/or genital (sPGA-G 0/1) psoriasis
The proportion of patients achieving a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) with at least a 2-point improvement from baseline at the specific sensitive sites. This is assessed using the Investigator's Global Assessment for Flexural Psoriasis (I-IGA) for skin folds and the static Physician's Global Assessment of Genitalia (sPGA-G) for genital involvement.
Time frame: week 16
Global Skin Clearance (PASI Responses)
The proportion of patients achieving clinically significant reductions in disease severity as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), specifically the PASI 75, PASI 90, and PASI 100 benchmarks (representing ≥75%, ≥90%, and 100% improvement from baseline, respectively)
Time frame: Week 16
Quality of Life Improvement (DLQI 0/1)
The proportion of patients achieving a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score of 0 or 1, signifying that the skin condition has no impact at all on the patient's overall quality of life.
Time frame: week 16
Itch Relief (Itch-NRS)
The proportion of patients achieving a clinically meaningful ≥4-point reduction from baseline in the Itch Numeric Rating Scale (Itch-NRS) or reaching an absolute score of 0 or 1 (no itch or minimal itch)
Time frame: week 16
Safety and Tolerability (Adverse Events)
The incidence, nature, and severity of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) documented in both treatment arms. This includes monitoring for dropouts specifically due to drug-related side effects.
Time frame: Throughout the 16-week treatment period and during the follow-up period (at least 3 months)
Body Surface Area (BSA) Reduction
The proportion of patients achieving an absolute Body Surface Area (BSA) involvement of ≤1% or the mean percentage change in BSA from baseline to the end of the study.
Time frame: week 16
No study locations are listed for this record.
Start is estimated for Apr 2026; primary completion for Aug 2026, 4 months later.
Of 52 phase 2 interventional studies under Pruritus, half reached primary completion within 16 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 31. This study's planned 4 months is below that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Roflumilast