MedTrace Logo

An Open-Label Single-Arm Clinical Trial to Evaluate The Efficacy of Abatacept in Moderate to Severe Patch Type Alopecia Areata

NCT02018042 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 15

Last updated 2019-04-30

Study results available
· View outcomes & findings →

Summary

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common disease of the immune system, known as an "autoimmune" disease. In this disease, the immune system mistakenly destroys the hair follicle, causing hair to fall out. Despite many people having this disease, research into its cause and into new, better ways to treat Alopecia Areata has lagged far behind other similar diseases of the immune system. Currently, there are no Federal Drug Administration approved drugs for Alopecia Areata.

Abatacept (made by Bristol-Myers Squibb) is a safe intervention known to effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis, another "autoimmune" disease, by fighting inflammation. There are some genetic and chemical similarities between those with active rheumatoid arthritis and Alopecia Areata, suggesting that treatment with the same drug is likely to be effective. In mice specially designed for testing drugs for the treatment of human alopecia, this medication worked to prevent the disease Alopecia Areata from starting.

To test Abatacept, we are going to treat 15 patients with moderate to severe Alopecia Areata for 6 months. Each person enrolling into this study will receive the active study drug. The effectiveness of the medication will be measured by changes in hair re-growth as determined by physical exam and photography, as well as by patient and physician scoring. Patients will be followed for another 6 months off of the drug to see if the effects of treatment last and if there is delayed response. We have recently changed the study to allow testing of abatacept in a few patients with alopecia totalis and universalis.

Small scalp biopsies and peripheral blood will be taken at the beginning of the study before treatment and then after 4,12 and 24 weeks. The chemical analysis of these skin samples and blood will help us to understand how the disease happens, how the treatment works, and perhaps even guide us to better treatments in the future.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Abatacept

After the screening period, subjects will begin weekly self-administered subcutaneous abatacept and will continue treatment for 6 months. Patients will be instructed in self-administration of study medication at baseline (week zero) and will be observed self-administering medication at each visit. Instructions regarding study drug administration will be reinforced as needed. The 6-month treatment period is expected to provide adequate time to assess the short-term efficacy and safety of abatacept in patients with moderate to severe AAP. Responders will then be followed for 6 months off drug.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Julian Mackay-Wiggan, MD, MS · Columbia University

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-09-30
Primary Completion
2017-07-31
Completion
2017-07-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Drugs
Diseases
Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02018042 on ClinicalTrials.gov