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Alopecia AreataNCT00167102

Alefacept in Patients With Severe Scalp Alopecia Areata

A study testing Alefacept in people with Alopecia Areata, run by University of Minnesota at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to examine prospectively the safety and efficacy of alefacept in the treatment of subjects with severe alopecia areata of the scalp. Common features between psoriasis and alopecia areata, including immunologic and therapeutic aspects, suggest that alefacept, which has been shown to be a… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Alopecia Areata
What is being tested?
Alefacept
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
45 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2005to Feb 2008
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Subjects must give written informed consent and candidates in the US must authorize the release and use of protected health information (PHI)
  • Subjects must be between the ages of 18 and 65 inclusive at the time of informed consent
  • Must have a diagnosis of scalp alopecia areata as determined by the study investigator
  • Must have 50-95% patchy scalp hair loss due to alopecia areata of at least one year duration
  • Must have CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts at or above the lower limit of normal as determined by a local laboratory.

Who cannot join

  • History of systemic or cutaneous malignancy other than treated basal cell carcinomas or 3 or less squamous cell carcinomas.
  • Nevi or cutaneous lesions currently undiagnosed but suspicious for malignancy.
  • Evidence of immunocompromise.
  • Advanced or poorly controlled diabetes.
  • Unstable cardiovascular disease.
  • Clinically significant medical or psychiatric disease as determined by the investigator.
Show all 25Show fewer
  • History of alcohol or drug abuse within 2 years of assessment for study enrollment.
  • Serious local infection (e.g. cellulitis, abscess) or systemic infection (e.g. pneumonia, septicemia) within 3 months prior to the first dose of investigational drug.
  • Positive PPD history of incompletely treated or untreated tuberculosis.
  • Abnormal T-lymphocyte count, and/or liver function tests.
  • If female, serum hemoglobin level greater than 1 unit below accepted limit for normal or otherwise abnormal.
  • Male subjects with an abnormal serum hemoglobin.
  • Known positivity for hepatitis C antigen or hepatitis B surface antigen.
  • Known positivity for HIV antibody.
  • Diagnosis of diffuse alopecia areata.
  • Coexistent androgenetic alopecia which, in males is Norwood-Hamilton stage VI or greater, or in females, Ludwig stage III.
  • Prior treatment with alefacept.
  • Treatment with another investigational drug within 4 weeks prior to anticipated first treatment dose.
  • Unable to practice effective contraception for the duration of the study.
  • Females who are nursing, pregnant or planning to become pregnant while in the study.
  • Those who have donated blood within a month of date of screening evaluation.
  • Concomitant enrollment in other investigational drug study.
  • Unwilling to maintain a consistent hair style and to eschew shaving of scalp hair throughout the course of the study.
  • Unable to comply with the protocol.
  • Other unspecified reasons that contraindicate enrollment in the study, as determined by the study investigator.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate The Safety and Therapeutic Efficacy of Intramuscular Administration of Alefacept in Patients With Chronic, Severe Scalp Alopecia Areata

The purpose of this study is to examine prospectively the safety and efficacy of alefacept in the treatment of subjects with severe alopecia areata of the scalp. Common features between psoriasis and alopecia areata, including immunologic and therapeutic aspects, suggest that alefacept, which has been shown to be a safe and statistically significant beneficial therapeutic modality for the treatment of psoriasis, may have therapeutic value in alopecia areata.

Read the detailed description

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune condition characterised by a T-cell mediated attack on the hair follicle. The inciting antigenic stimulus is unknown. A dense peribulbar lymphocytic infiltrate and reproducible immunologic abnormalities are hallmark features of the condition. The cellular infiltrate primarily consists of activated T-lymphocytes and antigen-presenting Langerhans cells. T-lymphocytes play a critical role in the pathogenesis of disease. The observance of hair regrowth in those with alopecia areata who are treated with cyclosporine, a known inhibitor of T-cell function, further confirms the central role of the T-lymphocytes in the development of the disease.

Activation of T-cells is initiated by interaction of the T-cell receptor with the antigen/major histocompatibility complex on the antigen-presenting cells. Co-stimulatory interactions occur secondarily, including binding of the T-cell CD2 receptor to the antigen-presenting cell ligand LFA-3 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 CD58). Induction of a molecular signaling cascade with resultant T-cell activation and proliferation ensues. Abrogation of this activation may result in diminished or aborted expression of disease, and thus suggests a potential therapeutic role for alefacept in the treatment of alopecia areata. Alefacept is a bioengineered LFA-3/Immunoglobulin fusion protein that binds to the CD2 T-cell receptor and interferes with the ligation of LFA-3. Binding of the immunoglobulin portion of the fusion protein to the FCy receptor on antigen-presenting cells potentiates apoptosis of CD-2 T-cells to thereby reduce the population of activated T-cells.

Psoriasis is a T-cell mediated disorder that shares many immunologic features with alopecia areata. Accordingly, treatments that are effective in psoriasis often prove to be beneficial in alopecia areata. Anthralin, topical and intralesional steroids and cyclosporine are among several therapeutic agents that have efficacy in both disorders. Based on the impressive therapeutic responses seen in those with psoriasis treated with alefacept, a similarly beneficial outcome is tentatively anticipated with treatment of those with alopecia areata.

Conditions
Alopecia Areata
Being tested
Alefacept
Keywords
Alopecia Areata
Medical subject headings
Alopecia Areata

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • AlefaceptDrug

    Study participants will receive weekly IM administration of placebo or 15 mg of alefacept for 12 weeks, to be followed by a 12-week post-treatment period during which the safety, efficacy, and durability of effect in treatment responders will be assessed on weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12.

Study groups in NCT00167102
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
AlefaceptExperimentalNot described
Receives: Drug: Alefacept
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorNot described
Receives: Drug: Alefacept

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The Proportion of Subjects Achieving at Least a 50% Reduction in Their Scalp Alopecia Areata Severity Scores (SALT Score) From Baseline Values

    Assess the therapeutic efficacy of a 12-week regimen of weekly IM administration of alefacept followed by a 12 week observation period in subjects with chronic severe scalp alopecia

    Measured: 24 weeks

  2. Number of Adverse Events

    Number of any adverse event reported throughout the study, regardless of relation to study drug

    Measured: 24 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Sep 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2005
  3. Primary completionFeb 2008
  4. Study completionFeb 2008

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator
Enrolment
45 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00167102
Sponsor's protocol ID
0506M70377
Status last verified
May 2019
First submitted
9 Sep 2005
Last updated
22 May 2019
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Alefacept in people with Alopecia Areata, run by University of Minnesota at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 25 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 May 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 9 Apr 2013). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The Proportion of Subjects Achieving at Least a 50% Reduction in Their Scalp Alopecia Areata Severity Scores (SALT Score) From Baseline Values (time frame: 24 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 May 2019.

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