Post-surgical Scars After the Use of CACIPLIQ20

Overview

Following surgical procedures or injury, cutaneous scars can develop due to production of collagen-rich connective tissue. These scars may be accompanied by redness, itching, pain, and restricted mobility of the skin. Typically, after a few weeks, the scar matures, becoming lighter and narrower, although full maturation of a scar may take up to 2 years. In some cases, however, cutaneous scars can be unsightly or can even become hyper- trophic or result in keloids. Preventing pathological scarring is much easier than treating scars later and should be started as early as possible after the injury or surgery. CACIPLIQ20® is a medical device used for the treatment of chronic skin ulcers, and contains a molecule belonging to the family of ReGeneraTing Agents (RGTA®). RGTA®s are biodegradable polymers that mimic the action of heparan sulfates found in the extracellular matrix of injured tissues. RGTA® accelerates tissue healing in various animal models, by stabilizing and protecting heparin-binding growth factors (HBGFs) and matrix proteins. In addition to its effects on hard-to-heal chronic wounds, CACIPLIQ20® was found to improve acute wound healing in pre-clinical models and in several case reports and controlled clinical studies. A first open label-controlled study showed that the topical application of RGTA® improved skin healing in mammoplasty patients and notably reduced oedema and pain in patients who had undergone centrofacial lift surgery compared to untreated patients. Results from this first study were confirmed in a double-blind placebo self-controlled trial conducted in two medical institutions in China involving 71 patients. The Chinese study showed that a single application of CACIPLIQ20® significantly improved scar healing quality at 14 days as well as scar symptoms including pain, swelling and exudate. The aim of the MATRISCAR study is to confirm the previous results in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.

MATRISCAR is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, self-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The main objective of this pivotal trial is to assess the superiority of a single application of CACIPLIQ20® over placebo on the clinical outcomes of the scars at 24 weeks. The primary endpoint will be the overall opinion on the appearance of the scar at 24 weeks, using the global scar comparison scale, centrally performed by an adjudication committee. It is planned to include 50 female patients undergoing bilateral mammoplasty for breast hypertrophy, from 3 centers in France. Each subject's participation duration in the study is estimated to be 6 months. The enrolment period is estimated to be 8 to 10 months. The targeted mammoplasties consist in the surgical reduction of both breasts volume, resulting in almost symmetrical scars. Surgical incisions of the bilateral breast reduction will be sutured according to local standard procedures. CACIPLIQ20® will be administered topically on the vertical and peri-areolar incisions of one breast for 5 minutes, after subcutaneous plans suture and just before final skin suture. The placebo will be administered in the same manner on the contralateral breast. As a result, each patient will receive both CACIPLIQ20® and placebo, thus reducing the interpersonal variability with a self-controlled design. Standardized two-dimensional (2D) photographs of each scar will be collected at 4, 12 and 24 weeks by the investigator, as well as other clinical outcomes. The scars photographs of each patient at each visit will be placed side by side (i.e. 2 photos per patient/visit), for a centralized evaluation by an adjudication committee. The treatment assignment for each breast will be randomized at treatment labelling. Treatments (active and placebo) will be dispensed in identical vials of 5 ml identified by treatment numbers and letters (R for the right breast, L for the left breast). The patient, investigator and adjudication committee will be blinded during the whole study, until all assessments have been performed. The independent monitor will ensure blinding is respected.