A Phase 2 Trial of Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonist for the Treatment of Itch in Epidermolysis Bullosa Patients
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 14
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Comparative Weekly Change in NRS Itch Score Over the 8-week Active Treatment Period
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Our goal is to determine whether daily oral administration of VPD-737 (5 mg) is effective and safe in treating moderate to severe pruritus in patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
Detailed Description
Itch is the most common complaint reported by patients with EB of all subtypes, and there is no current effective treatment. Itch often triggers scratching that creates new wounds and increases EB disease severity.
This study aims to target the physiological mechanisms of pruritus (itch) in patients with EB. Substance P is a major mediator of pruritus and binds to the receptor neurokinin-1 (NK1), which is expressed in the central nervous system and the skin.
VPD-737 (serlopitant), a novel drug that inhibits the NK1 receptor, has been shown to reduce severe itch in a previous study of 257 adult patients with chronic pruritus.
Each patient will be un-blinded individually after completing 3 months of study period.
All patients who complete the study will be offered a 2-month period on active drug. Patient who received active drug in the first period will be contacted and asked if they would like to continue on active drug for an additional 2 months.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
Research personnel not involved in this study was responsible for blinding. This was the only personnel with access to the code linking study drug bottle numbers to treatment (i.e. active or placebo). The code was broken when all data was captured and locked on an electronic data capture system.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 13 Years to — (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Clinical diagnosis of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and pruritus
Exclusion Criteria
- •Chronic liver or renal disease
Arms & Interventions
5 mg VPD-737
5 mg tablets of VPD-737 to be taken daily by mouth for 56 days
Intervention: VPD-737 (Drug)
Placebo
Placebo tablets to be taken daily by mouth for 56 days
Intervention: Placebo (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Comparative Weekly Change in NRS Itch Score Over the 8-week Active Treatment Period
Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks
Determine the efficacy of Serlopitant compared with placebo on reducing EB-associated daily itch score as measured by patient self-reports using a numeric rating scale (NRS) for itch severity.The NRS is comprised of one item and represents the numbers 0 ("no itch") to 10 ("worst imaginable itch"). Because itch is subjective and can vary day to day, nightly NRS scores were recorded in patients' Itch Diaries. NRS recorded by subject daily, from screening visit through the end of the study. This study was designed to detect differences between the two treatment groups. The primary endpoint was the comparative weekly change in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) itch severity score from baseline over 8 weeks; derived from a linear mixed effects model which utilizes observations from both the treatment and placebo groups to generate an interaction term of interest. Itch severity changes from day to day and this model can more appropriately report trends in patients' itch severity with treatment.
Secondary Outcomes
- Wound Healing Determination(Baseline and 8 weeks)
- Change in Mean NRS Itch Score During Bathing/Dressing Changes(Baseline and 8 weeks)
Investigators
Jean Yuh Tang
Associate Professor
Stanford University