Clinical trial NCT02196324: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study of the Neurokinin-1 (NK1) Receptor Antagonist Serlopitant Prurigo Nodularis (PN)
Official title: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Study of Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonist Serlopitant in Subjects With Prurigo Nodularis
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Prurigo Nodularis
Keywords: Prurigo Nodularis
Atopic Dermatitis
Lichen-simplex chronicus
Lead sponsor: Vyne Therapeutics Inc.
Sponsor class: INDUSTRY
First posted: 2014-07-22
Enrollment: 128
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate whether or not VPD-737, an NK1 receptor antagonist is safe and effective for treatment of prurigo nodularis versus placebo.

Detailed description: The sensation of itch is transmitted to the brain through the nervous system. Several chemicals are involved in transmitting this signal.This trial of VPD 737 is intended to treat this condition by blocking one of the chemicals involved in the transmission of the itch signal. This is an oral drug administered once daily It has been used in other trials and has shown to be safe at the doses used in this trial. The trial will involve once daily pills for 8 weeks. Subject will be asked to fill out questionnaires both electronically and on paper during the study period. Patients will also be monitored for safety and will have blood taken for testing and several points during the trial. Overall participation will last about 14 weeks

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Subjects meeting all of the following criteria will be eligible for study entry:

  1. Males or females who are at least 18 years and no more than 80 years of age at Screening.
  2. Must have PN (defined as the presence of pruritic nodules due to chronic pruritus,) of more than 6 weeks duration despite treatment with current therapies such as antihistamines or corticosteroids ("treatment resistant" PN).
  3. Must have PN lesions on both arms, both legs, and/or the trunk (ie, the lesions must not be localized).
  4. Must have a VAS pruritus score of 70 or greater within 72 hours of Baseline.
  5. Males, non-fecund females (ie, surgically sterilized, if procedure was done 12 months before screening or subject is postmenopausal, without menses for 12 months before screening), or females of childbearing potential using an acceptable method of birth control for a period of 35 days before the first dosing, and all females must have a negative pregnancy test at the screening and baseline visits:

     Note 1: Acceptable methods of birth control include any one of the following:

     abstinence, vasectomized sexual partner, hormonal methods (ie, birth-control pill, hormonal IUD, Depo-Provera, implants, patch, intravaginal device \[NuvaRing\]), intrauterine device (IUD \[copper banded coils\]), diaphragm, cervical cap, or condom with spermicidal jelly or foam. Subjects using oral contraceptives must also use a reliable backup method of birth control during the study and until the first menses after the last dose of study medication or for 14 days menses after the last dose of study medication.
  6. Willing and able to understand and provide written informed consent.
  7. Willing and able to comply with study requirements and restrictions including the discontinuation of all current therapies for pruritus.
  8. Subjects must be in good health as determined by medical history, physical examination, and results of Electro Cardio Gram (ECG) and clinical laboratory tests (including urinalysis).
  9. Agreeing to confidential use and storage of all data and use of all anonymized data for publication including scientific publication.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects not eligible for the study are those who:
* Have chronic pruritus due conditions other than PN, such as the following conditions:
* Lichen simplex chronicus
* Lichen amyloidosus
* Localized pruritus (e.g., only one arm affected)
* Neuropathic and psychogenic pruritus (notalgia paresthetica, brachioradial pruritus, somatoform prurigo, dilusional parasitosis, depression associated prurigo)
* Active dermatoses needing immediate therapy such as atopic dermatitis (without PN) or bullous pemphigoid;
* Have a history of use (within the specified time periods) of the medications listed below. Prior to randomization, a subject who used any of these medications must undergo a washout period equal to the length of the interval specified below (eg, 2 weeks for antihistamines, 4 weeks for naltrexone, and 4 weeks for cyclosporine A).
* Topical or systemic antihistamines, (used ≤2 weeks prior to the baseline visit) \[loratindine, or cetirizine may act as rescue medication during treatment\];
* Topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical capsaicin, menthol, camphor, polidocanol, topical antibiotics, antiseptic baths and cleansing lotions (used ≤2 weeks prior to the baseline visit);
* Topical steroids (used ≤2 weeks prior to the baseline visit);
* Naltrexone, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, amitriptyline, gabapentin, pregabalin, or UVtherapy (prescribed for the pruritus treatment) (used ≤4 weeks prior to the baseline visit);
* Systemic steroids (used ≤4 weeks prior to the baseline visit);
* Cyclosporine A and other immunosuppressants (used ≤4 weeks prior to the baseline visit).
* Have any medical condition or disability that would interfere with the assessment of safety or efficacy in this trial or would compromise the ability of the subject to undergo study procedures or to give informed consent.
* Have any chronic or acute medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, might interfere with the study results or place the subject at undue risk.
* Have a history of sensitivity to any components of the study material.
* Are females of childbearing potential who are unwilling to use adequate contraception or who are breast feeding.
* Have chronic renal disease, ie, serum creatinine greater than 2.4 mg/dL.
* Have aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than 2 times the upper limit of normal. Subjects with hepatitis B or C who have normal liver function may be enrolled.
* Have a current malignancy (such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, B or T cell lymphoma, or myeloma) or blood cell dyscrasia (eg, polycythemia or myelofibrosis) that might lead to systemic chronic pruritus.
* Subjects with untreated hyperthyroidism.
* Have pruritus of psychiatric etiology (eg, delusions of parasitosis, obsessive compulsive disorder, or major depression) or neuropathic etiology (eg, due to shingles, spinal cord injury or with neurologic deficit).
* Have pruritus due to urticaria, drug allergy, or infection (such as pityriasis rosea or tinea or active human immunodeficiency virus \[HIV\]). Note: Subjects with HIV who have undetectable viral load, CD 4 counts \>200 cells/cc, and stable retroviral therapy may enroll.
* Are on medications known to cause pruritus (ie, Erbitux®, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, and angiotensin converting enzyme \[ACE\] inhibitors) and are suspected of having drug-induced pruritus.
* Have taken investigational medications within 30 days prior to Screening.
* Are currently participating in any other clinical study.
* Have a history (within the previous 4 weeks) of use of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIS), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, opioids, immunemodulators (e.g. azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine A, antibodies), or neuroactive medications (e.g. pregabalin, gabapentin).
* Have a history (within the previous 4 weeks) of use of sedatives or tranquilizers.

Subjects must undergo an appropriate washout period from any sedatives or tranquilizers before enrolling in the study.

* Are currently treated with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g. conazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, voroconazole etc. or erythromycin). The co-administration of moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors to VPD-737 may be allowed with investigator agreement and appropriate safety monitoring.
* Received ultraviolet B (UVB) or psoralen + ultraviolet A (PUVA) treatment within 30 days prior to Screening.
* Within the past 12 months, have expressed suicidal ideation with some intent to act.
* Started or changed creams, or emollients including over-the-counter (OTC) preparations or bath oil treatment for relief of pruritus within 2 weeks prior to Screening.
* Have any social or medical condition (eg, alcoholism, drug dependency, psychotic state) that, in the investigator's opinion, might interfere with the subject's ability to comply with the requirements of the protocol.
* Are employees of the study site or of the Sponsor's company.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Average Visual Analog Scale at Baseline
timeFrame: At Baseline
measure: Average Visual Analog Scale at Week 2
timeFrame: At Week 2
measure: Average Visual Analog Scale at Week 4
timeFrame: At Week 4
measure: Average Visual Analog Scale at Week 8
timeFrame: At Week 8
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Number of Participants With Improvement in Pruritus as Reported on Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) - Pruritus
timeFrame: At Baseline and Week 8
measure: Number of Participants With Improvement in Burning as Reported on Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) - Burning
timeFrame: At Baseline and Week 8
measure: Number of Participants With Improvement in Stinging as Reported on Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) - Stinging
timeFrame: At Baseline and Week 8
measure: Worst Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
timeFrame: At Baseline, Weeks 2, 4, and 8
measure: Number of Participants With Improvement in Pruritus as Reported on Patient Global Assessment (PGA)
timeFrame: At Weeks 2, 4, and 8
measure: Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
timeFrame: At Baseline, Weeks 2, 4, and 8
measure: Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)
timeFrame: At Baseline, Weeks 2, 4, and 8
measure: Pruritus-specific Quality of Life (ItchyQoL)
timeFrame: At Baseline, Weeks 2, 4, and 8
measure: Patient Benefit Index, Version for Patients With Pruritus (PBI-P)
timeFrame: At Week 8 / End of Treatment
measure: Number of Participants With Improvement in PN Lesions as Reported on Investigator Global Assessment (IGA)
timeFrame: At Week 8
measure: Number of Participants With Improvement on Prurigo Activity Score (PAS)
timeFrame: At Day 1 and Week 8
measure: Participants With Rescue Medication Usage
timeFrame: Pre-treatment, upto 8 Weeks
measure: Number of Participants With Adverse Events (AEs)
timeFrame: From the time of informed consent (Screening) until the last study visit (follow-up phone call, Week 10)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Berlin-Mitte
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 07
city: Bonn
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 08
city: Dresden
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 06
city: Dusseldorf
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 12
city: Frankfurt
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 02
city: Hamburg
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 09
city: Heidelberg
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 05
city: Kiel
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 03
city: Leipzig
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 11
city: Lubeck
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 04
city: Mainz
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 14
city: Muenster
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 01
city: München
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 16
city: Selters
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 15
city: Tübingen
country: Germany
facility: Study Site 10
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Muenster, Germany
name: Sonja Staender, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Kimel M, Zeidler C, Kwon P, Revicki D, Stander S. Validation of Psychometric Properties of the Itch Numeric Rating Scale for Pruritus Associated With Prurigo Nodularis: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2020 Dec 1;156(12):1354-1358. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.3071.