The purpose of this study is to assess whether tralokinumab can be a helpful treatment for alopecia areata. This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a total of 30 subjects with moderate to severe alopecia areata involving 30-100% of the scalp. Expected is 50% of these subjects to have concomitant alopecia areata (AA) and atopic dermatitis (AD). Subjects with AA alone (15 subjects) will be randomized (2:1) to either receive tralokinumab or placebo via subcutaneous injection every 2 weeks for 24 weeks. Subjects with concomitant alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis (15 subjects) will be randomized separately in a 2:1 ratio to receive tralokinumab or placebo via subcutaneous injection every 2 weeks for 24 weeks.
The purpose of this study is to assess whether tralokinumab can be a helpful treatment for alopecia areata. This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a total of 30 subjects with moderate to severe alopecia areata involving 30-100% of the scalp. The researchers expect 50% of these subjects to have concomitant alopecia areata (AA) and atopic dermatitis (AD). The researchers' experience in AD12-14, and past experience in psoriasis15, 16 showed that biomarker studies in skin tissues are critical to the understanding of key pathogenic pathways that are upregulated in each disease and how well they are suppressed with effective treatment. These mechanistic studies coupled with clinical trials are key in the disease to shed light on important disease mechanisms, and to explain which molecules are suppressed by each therapeutic target. Data shows that IL-13 is significantly upregulated in both AD and AA lesions compared to nonlesional skin. It is very important to associate the clinical responses with suppression of this cytokine and related molecules as well as other pathway cytokines in skin tissues. Both the whole genomic profiling and individual molecular and cellular markers are very important in order to understand how well anti-IL-13 will change/suppress AA-associated pathways and compare with those that will be suppressed in AD. Since this study is designed to gain basic knowledge rather than to yield information directly related to patient care, the results are not entered in the participants' medical records. If, at a later date, correlations of in-vitro tests and the patients' clinical situation suggest that the results do bear on the patients' health, an amended protocol will be submitted to the IRB so that results can be made available to the medical record.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
22
All groups will receive study drug every two weeks for 24 weeks.
Matching placebo given every two weeks for 24 weeks
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, United States
Change in Gene Expression Th2/IL-13, "T22"/IL-22, S100A7 and S100A8, Th1/IFN-gamma, and Th17/IL-17A Jointly Correlated
Change from baseline in cellular, and molecular markers in skin biopsies after treatment. Gene expression changes in Th2/IL-13, "T22"/IL-22, S100A7 and S100A8, Th1/IFN-gamma, and Th17/IL-17A jointly correlated assessed as change at week 24 compared to baseline of the biomarkers combined z-score expression. Th2/IL-13, T22/IL-22, S100A7 and S100A8, Th1/IFN-gamma, and Th17/IL-17A biomarkers was computed as following. The combined score was obtained by mean z-score expression of all biomarkers, where z-score normalized expression of biomarker X and sample i was obtained by the following formula: \[Xi - mean(Xall\_samples)\]/sd(Xall\_samples). Change in combined z-score for each patient was calculated from two time points as the value at the later time point minus the value at the earlier time point.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 24
Percentage Change From Baseline in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT)
Percentage change from Baseline in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) at Week 24. SALT score 0-100 with lower score indicating better health outcomes.
Time frame: Week 24
Number of Patients Achieving 50% or Greater Improvement in Their SALT Score (SALT50)
Number of patients achieving 50% or greater improvement in their SALT score (SALT50) at Week 24, compared to Baseline. SALT score 0-100 with lower score indicating better health outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 24
Percentage Change From Baseline in the Alopecia Areata Symptom Impact Scale (AASIS)
Percentage change from baseline in the Alopecia Areata Symptom Impact Scale (AASIS) at Week 24. AASIS score 0-130 with lower score indicating better health outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 24
Percentage Change From Baseline in the Alopecia Areata Quality of Life Questionnaire (AA-QoL)
Percentage change from Baseline in the Alopecia Areata Quality of Life questionnaire (AA-QoL) at Week 24. AA-QoL score 0-100 with higher score indicating better health outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 24
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