Clinical trial NCT05295732: The ASCEND Study: Evaluating TMB-001 in the Treatment of RXLI or ARCI Ichthyosis
Official title: The ASCEND Study: A Phase III, Multicenter, Double Blinded Vehicle Controlled Study of TMB-001 With a Parallel Optional Maximal Use Arm- in Treatment of RXLI or ARCI Ichthyosis in Subjects Aged >6
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Ichthyosis
Lead sponsor: Timber Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Sponsor class: INDUSTRY
Collaborators: name: LEO Pharma
First posted: 2022-03-25
Enrollment: 209
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 6
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: • Period 1 - Induction (3 weeks): At the beginning of the 3-week Induction Period, eligible subjects will be randomized (2:1 ratio) to either TMB-001 0.05% once-a-day (QD) or Vehicle QD treatment, with use of mandatory standardized bland emollient (Cetaphil™) provided by the Sponsor.

• Period 2 - Treatment (9 weeks): The dosing frequency in the 9-week treatment period will be increased in each treatment group to TMB-001 0.05% BID or Vehicle BID. Mandatory bland emollient will be discontinued.

• Period 3 - Maintenance (12 weeks): At Week 12, eligible subjects in the TMB-001 treatment group will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to an open-label treatment with TMB-001 0.05% BID or TMB-001 0.05% QD.

Vehicle-treated subjects who achieved \<1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline are eligible to cross over to the TMB-001 0.05% BID treatment group.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This is a randomized, double-blind and vehicle-controlled Phase III study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical TMB-001 0.05% ointment for the treatment of CI in subjects with either the RXLI or ARCI subtypes.

In addition, a subset of preselected centers will recruit subjects in parallel with either the RXLI or ARCI subtypes for enrollment into an Optional Maximal Use arm for evaluation of the systemic exposure and safety of topical TMB-001 0.05% ointment for the treatment of CI.

The Phase III Study is designed in three periods:

• Period 1 - Induction (3 weeks): At the beginning of the 3-week Induction Period, eligible subjects will be randomized (2:1 ratio) to either TMB-001 0.05% once-a-day (QD) or Vehicle QD treatment, with use of mandatory standardized bland emollient (Cetaphil™) provided by the Sponsor.

• Period 2 - Treatment (9 weeks): The dosing frequency in the 9-week treatment period will be increased in each treatment group to TMB-001 0.05% BID or Vehicle BID. Mandatory bland emollient will be discontinued.

• Period 3 - Maintenance (12 weeks): At Week 12, eligible subjects in the TMB-001 treatment group will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to an open-label treatment with TMB-001 0.05% BID or TMB-001 0.05% QD. To be eligible, subjects must have achieved a ≥1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline. Subjects with less than a 1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline will be discontinued from the study.

Vehicle-treated subjects who achieved \<1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline are eligible to cross over to the TMB-001 0.05% BID treatment group. Subjects with a ≥1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline will be discontinued from the study.

Subjects at the end of the study or subjects discontinued from the study at any time will be followed-up for additional 2 weeks for AEs.

Detailed description: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled Phase III study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TMB-001 0.05% topical ointment in the treatment of CI. Subjects will be selected according to predefined entry criteria. The study treatment duration is 24 weeks and expected to be sufficient to show a treatment effect.

Isotretinoin is an approved active pharmacological ingredient with a long history of safe use in humans. However, isotretinoin is a known teratogen with an extremely high risk for severe birth defects if pregnancy occur while taking oral isotretinoin in any amount, even for a short period of time. Therefore oral, systemic isotretinoin requires an iPLEDGE program (iPLEDGE 2012), which is a risk management distribution program mandated by the FDA. To minimize pregnancy risks, WOCBP will only be enrolled if they agree to use highly effective methods of contraception consistently and correctly as described in Table 17 and undergo regular pregnancy testing .

To minimize bias, subjects will be blinded and randomly assigned to treatment with TMB-001 0.05% or Vehicle, additionally subjects who had previously been treated with TMB 001 will be excluded from this study but can be enrolled in the optional Maximal Use arm (in a subset of preselected centers). The use of a vehicle control group is consistent with FDA's standard for generating valid scientific evidence to definitively support safety and efficacy. The vehicle group accounts for the effects of treatment that do not depend on the test treatment. The study is designed to mitigate safety risks by using an initial 2:1 randomization (active treatment to vehicle), along with frequent clinic visits over the 12-week treatment period. The subsequent 1:1 randomization of eligible TMB-001 0.05% treated subjects to two dosing regimen (QD or BID) allows for assessment of the optimal TMB-001 0.05% maintenance therapy as well as provides additional safety data for 12 weeks. The cross-over of eligible subjects from the vehicle control group will also provide additional safety data.

Overall, the study design is considered to be scientifically robust and clinically relevant for evaluating TMB-001 0.05% treatment for the safe and effective treatment of CI.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subject is male or female, 6 years of age and older at Visit 2 (Baseline).
2. Subject has provided written informed consent/assent. A subject under 18 years of age must provide written informed assent and be accompanied by the parent or legal guardian at the time of consent/assent signing. The parent or legal guardian must provide informed consent for the subject. If a subject becomes 18 years of age during the study, the subject must provide written informed consent at that time to continue study participation.
3. Females must be postmenopausal (defined as amenorrhea greater than 12 consecutive months in women 50 years of age and older), surgically sterile (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy), or use 2 acceptable forms of birth control. WOCBP must have a negative serum pregnancy test at screening and negative urine pregnancy test (UPT) at Visit 2 (Baseline) (UPTs must have a minimum sensitivity to detect 25 mIU beta human chorionic gonadotropin \[β hCG\]/mL). Female subjects who become sexually active or begin to have relations with a partner during the study must agree to use 2 forms of birth control for 30 days prior to having relations and to continue such forms of birth control for the duration of the study.
4. Subject has clinical diagnosis of CI and has a genetic confirmation of either ARCI (including but not exclusively transglutaminase 1-deficient, ALOX-12B) or RXLI (e.g., deletion of steroid sulfatase gene) subtypes of CI. Other genetically confirmed ARCI-LI mutations can potentially be enrolled as long as the phenotype is consistent with ARCI and the other inclusion criteria are met, as determined by the Investigator
5. The amount of CI affected skin in the Treatment Area at Baseline will be between a minimum of 10% and maximum of 90% of the total BSA (1% BSA is approximately equal to the surface area of the subject's palm and fingers, with the fingers extended yet grouped together, creating a flat oval-like surface area).

   • For the Optional Maximal Use arm: The amount of CI affected skin in the Treatment Area at Baseline will be between a minimum of 75% and maximum of 90% of the total BSA.
6. Documented history of moderate to severe disease at Screening. Subject's designated VIIS Assessment Areas at Baseline (not applicable for Optional Maximal Use arm) MUST:

   * Include any of the 4 VIIS Assessment Areas that have some CI disease involving: (a) the upper back from the posterior axillary fold to the other encompassing the T1-T10, (b) the upper arm (excluding elbows), left or right, (c) the shin/lower leg (the portion below the proximal aspect of the kneecap), left or right, and (d) dorsal foot (left or right); AND
   * At least 2 of the 4 VIIS Assessment Areas MUST have a scaling score of 3 or more.
7. Subject's IGA score in the Treatment Area at Baseline must be 3 or more.
8. Subject and parent/guardian (if applicable) are willing and able to apply the study treatment(s) as directed, comply with study instructions, and commit to all follow-up visits for the duration of the study.
9. Subject, in the Investigator's opinion, is in good general health and free of any disease state or physical condition that might impair evaluation of the Treatment Areas or exposes the subject to an unacceptable risk by study participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subject is pregnant, lactating, or is planning to become pregnant during the study.
2. Subject has inflammatory skin diseases that confound the interpretation of results (e.g., atopic dermatitis) unrelated to ichthyosis.
3. Subject has genetic abnormality consistent with non-lamellar type or syndromic ichthyoses (including but not exclusively KRT1, KRT10, KRT2, GJB3, GJB4, CDSN)
4. Subject has previously failed on topical/oral retinoid therapy for treatment of CI, defined as documented intolerance and or lack of clinical efficacy as determined by the subject.
5. Subject, in the Treatment Areas, has used: (a) any topical prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) therapies (except emollients, keratolytics, and topical steroids - see below), that are intended for, or that in the opinion of the Investigator, may improve CI within 2 weeks of Visit 2 (Baseline), or (b) keratolytics or topical corticosteroids within 5 days prior to Visit 2 (Baseline).
6. Subject, in the Treatment Areas, has used TMB-001 in the past or oral isotretinoin in the past 12 months (not applicable for Optional Maximal Use arm).
7. Subject has used any topical products in the Treatment Areas, including bland emollients, on Visit 2 (Baseline).
8. Subject has used ultraviolet (UV) treatment within 4 weeks prior to Visit 2 (Baseline).
9. Subject has undergone systemic therapies using vitamin A supplements or St. John's Wort within 4 weeks prior to Visit 2 (Baseline). Note: Use of a multivitamin including vitamin A is not exclusionary provided it is taken as directed on the packaging.
10. Subject is immunosuppressed (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus, systemic malignancy, graft host disease) or receives systemic immunotherapy.
11. Subject is currently taking concomitant immunosuppressive drugs, including systemic corticosteroids, within 2 weeks of Visit 2 (Baseline).
12. Subject has untreated secondary infections; however, subject may become eligible after successful treatment of his/her infection(s) at the Investigator's discretion.
13. Subject is currently enrolled in an investigational drug or device study or has used an investigational drug or investigational device treatment within 30 days or five half-lives prior to Visit 2 (Baseline).
14. Subject has lesions suspicious for skin cancer (if skin cancer is not ruled out by biopsy) or untreated skin cancers within the Treatment Areas.
15. Subject has a physical condition or other dermatologic disorder that, in the Investigator's opinion, might impair evaluation of CI, or that exposes the subject to unacceptable risk by study participation.
16. Subjects with ALT or AST \>2 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) and/or creatinine \>1.5 x ULN.
17. Subject is unable to communicate or cooperate with the Investigator due to language problems, impaired cerebral function, or physical limitations.
18. Subject has a history of drug or alcohol abuse within the past 6 months, or if suspected to be noncompliant or is unlikely to comply with the requirements of the study protocol (e.g., due to alcoholism, drug dependency, mental incapacity) in the opinion of the Investigator.
19. Subject has a history of sensitivity to any of the ingredients in the study treatments.

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Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Investigator global assessment (IGA) score
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Number of subjects with IGA scores
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in IGA-scaling severity sub-score
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in Worst Itch-Quality of Life (QoL) scores
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in Visual Index of Ichthyosis Severity (VIIS) score
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in VIIS score
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in IGA-fissuring severity sub-scores
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in IGA score
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: Change in VIIS score
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: Change in Ichthyosis Quality of Life (IQoL)-32 scores
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) or Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) scores
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Change in Itch-Quality of Life scores
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: Change in DLQI or CDLQI scores
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: Change in IQoL-32 scores
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: To investigate the proportion of subjects experiencing local skin reactions (LSRs) with topically applied TMB-001 0.05% ointment.
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: To investigate the proportion of subjects experiencing treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs)
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: To investigate the proportion of subjects experiencing LSRs with topically applied TMB-001 0.05% ointment.
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: To investigate the proportion of subjects experiencing TEAEs
timeFrame: 24 weeks
measure: To investigate the proportion of subjects demonstrating clinically confirmed allergic contact dermatitis
timeFrame: During week 12
measure: Maximal Use arm: Change in the individual concentrations of isotretinoin, tretinoin, 4-oxo-tretinion and 4-oxo-isotretinoin.
timeFrame: 14 days
measure: Maximal Use arm: Change in individual concentrations of metabolites
timeFrame: 14 days
measure: Maximal Use arm: Safety and tolerability - LSRs
timeFrame: 12 weeks
measure: Maximal Use arm: Safety and tolerability - TEAEs
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Phoenix
country: United States
facility: Medical Dermatology Specialists (US Derm Partners)
state: Arizona
city: Palo Alto
country: United States
facility: Stanford Children's Health
state: California
city: Centennial
country: United States
facility: About Skin Dermatology
state: Colorado
city: Middlebury
country: United States
facility: Yale Dermatology
state: Connecticut
city: Miami
country: United States
facility: University of Miami, Dermatology Clinical Trial Unit
state: Florida
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Northwestern University - Feinberg School of Medicine - Dermatology Department
state: Illinois
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Dawes Fretzin Clinical Research Group, LLC
state: Indiana
city: Plainfield
country: United States
facility: The Indiana Clinical Trials Center (Optima Research)
state: Indiana
city: New Brighton
country: United States
facility: Steven Kempers
state: Minnesota
city: Ridgeland
country: United States
facility: University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) - Face and Skin Center
state: Mississippi
city: Winston-Salem
country: United States
facility: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
state: North Carolina
city: Boardman
country: United States
facility: The Indiana Clinical Trials Center (Optima Research)
state: Ohio
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
state: Pennsylvania
city: Charleston
country: United States
facility: Medical University of South Carolina
state: South Carolina
city: Houston
country: United States
facility: Austin Institute for Clinical Research
state: Texas
city: Pflugerville
country: United States
facility: Austin Institute for Clinical Research, Inc.
state: Texas
city: Norfolk
country: United States
facility: Pariser Dermatology Specialists
state: Virginia
city: Mill Creek
country: United States
facility: North Sound Dermatology
state: Washington
city: Edmonton
country: Canada
facility: Stollery children's hospital
state: Alberta
city: Surrey
country: Canada
facility: Dr. Chih-ho Hong Medical Inc.
state: British Columbia
city: Winnipeg
country: Canada
facility: Wiseman Dermatology Research Inc.
state: Manitoba
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: Sickkids Hospital, Toronto, Canada
state: Ontario
city: Bron
country: France
facility: Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant
city: Nantes
country: France
facility: CHU de Nantes Hotel Dieu
city: Paris
country: France
facility: Hopital Necker APHP
city: Toulouse
country: France
facility: Hopital Larrey CHU Toulouse
city: Berlin
country: Germany
facility: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
city: Erlangen
country: Germany
facility: Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
city: Hamburg
country: Germany
facility: Katholisches Kinderkrankenhaus Wilhelmstift GmbH
city: Münster
country: Germany
facility: Münster University Hospital
city: Bari
country: Italy
facility: U.O. di Dermatologia e Venereologia Universitaria
city: Bologna
country: Italy
facility: Ambulatorio Malattie Rare IRCCS Sant'Orsola
city: Firenze
country: Italy
facility: Ambulatorio di Malattie Rare Dermatologiche e Immunopatologia Cutanea
city: Roma
country: Italy
facility: U.O.C. di Dermatologia Dipartimento Pediatrico Universitario Ospedaliero
Study officials:
References: