Extracorporeal Photopheresis in Early Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis

NCT ID: NCT04986605

Last Updated: 2025-03-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

15 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-07-01

Study Completion Date

2027-07-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to assess feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of Extracorporeal Photopheresis in the treatment of active diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). This pilot study will help to determine if further study (a RCT) is justified.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc, Scleroderma) is a multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by widespread vascular injury and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. There is no effective treatment for the majority of patients with diffuse scleroderma (diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis; dcSSc). Only few therapies have shown modest benefits in regard to some specific organ pathologies. In the early stage of dcSSc, it may be possible to reverse inflammation and reduce the probability of irreversible fibrosis via significant immune modulation as later, often the fibrosis doesn't improve with treatment.

This is a pilot study that will treat 15 participants with dcSSc who meet the eligibility criteria. The objective of the study is to determine if the benefit of Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) and safety are favorable in order to consider and help in the design of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). This is a Phase II study that is uncontrolled and patients will remain on their background immunosuppressive treatment unless if contraindicated for safety or drug interactions. The trial is powered to show a mean change in skin thickness measured with modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) of ≥5 over one year, in an uncontrolled, unblinded study. The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), patient and physician global scores, inflammatory markers, and combined response index in SSc (CRISS) will all be exploratory outcomes. Other outcomes such as changes in cells on skin biopsies from baseline to end of the trial will be explored if the study is positive.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Administration of Extracorporeal Photopheresis Treatment

Duration of treatment: 48 weeks. Treatments occur on 2 consecutive days every 4 weeks.

Dose of UVADEX: Treatment Volume x 0.017 = mL of UVADEX for each treatment Treatment Volume (TV) is defined as: The total volume of Buffy Coat plus prime solution that will undergo photoactivation.

Route of administration: Extracorporeal

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Drug Intervention using a medical device. The ECP device is already licensed in Canada. License No.7703. ECP treatment, using the drug UVADEX, will be given on 2 consecutive days every 4 weeks for a total of 26 treatment days (48 weeks).

UVADEX

Intervention Type DRUG

The phase II aspect of the study refers to the drug, methoxsalen. Methoxsalen is being used off label from the currently approved indications in the monograph. The study is proposing to use methoxsalen in combination with with extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Treatment will be given in addition to standard of care medications for SSc.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP)

Drug Intervention using a medical device. The ECP device is already licensed in Canada. License No.7703. ECP treatment, using the drug UVADEX, will be given on 2 consecutive days every 4 weeks for a total of 26 treatment days (48 weeks).

Intervention Type DEVICE

UVADEX

The phase II aspect of the study refers to the drug, methoxsalen. Methoxsalen is being used off label from the currently approved indications in the monograph. The study is proposing to use methoxsalen in combination with with extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Treatment will be given in addition to standard of care medications for SSc.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

ECP 8-mop 8-mop

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Patients with SSc, aged 18 years or older, and:
2. Subjects must meet the ACR/EULAR classification criteria for SSc (2013).
3. Early dcSSc (within 5 years of first non-Raynaud's phenomenon symptom) or any other dcSSc patients who have at least one of the signs of disease activity: mRSS of 15 or more, presence of tendon friction rubs, elevated inflammatory markers thought to be due to active dcSSc and not related to other issues such as infection or ILD with FVC% predicted \<80% or HRCT showing ILD thought to be from SSc.
4. Able to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Poor pulmonary function (FVC\<40% and/or DLCO\<30%).
2. Class IV PAH or PH.
3. Clinically significant cardiac disease.
4. Significant concurrent, uncontrolled medical condition including, but not limited to, renal, cardiac, hepatic, pancreatic, hematological, gastrointestinal, endocrine, pulmonary, neurological, cerebral or psychiatric disease; and cancer (i.e. co-existing melanoma, basal cell, or squamous cell skin carcinoma).
5. Chronic or ongoing active infectious disease requiring systemic treatment, including active tuberculosis (TB) infection.
6. Seropositivity for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at study entry.
7. Active viral infection with viral replication of hepatitis B or C virus at study entry.
8. Thrombophilia.
9. Contraindications to heparin including history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HITTS), history of thrombocytopenia with pentosan polysulfate, known hypersensitivity to heparin or pork products.
10. Low Platelet count (less than 100,000 per mm3).
11. Aphakia (absence or loss of the eye's lens and has not been replaced with an artificial lens), because of the significantly increased risk of retinal damage due to the absence of lenses.
12. Severe anemia (hemoglobin \<70g/L).
13. High white blood cell count (greater than 25000 mm3).
14. A history of surgical spleen removal.
15. A history of a light sensitive disease state, i.e. lupus erythematosus, porphyria cutanea tarda, erythropoietic protoporphyria, variegate porphyria, xeroderma pigmentosum and albinism.
16. Previous idiosyncratic reactions to psoralen compounds.
17. Patients who are using photosensitizing drugs such as anthralin, coal tar or coal tar derivatives, griseofulvin, phenothiazines, nalidixic acid, halogenated salicylanilides (bacteriostatic soaps), sulfonamides, tetracyclines, thiazides, and certain organic staining dyes such as methylene blue, toluidine blue, rose bengal and methyl orange.
18. Treatment with more than 2 immunosuppressants (including mofetil mycophenolate, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, biologics) at study entry.
19. Pregnancy, breast feeding or child bearing potential without practicing highly effective contraception (and partners for men in the study).
20. Patients known or suspected of not being able to comply with a study protocol (e.g. due to alcoholism, drug dependency or psychological disorder).
21. Participation in another clinical trial within six weeks before randomization in this study.
22. Previous use of Extracorporeal photopheresis.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Mallinckrodt

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Janet Pope

Head of Rheumatology

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Dr. Janet E Pope, MD PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Western Ontario, Division of Rheumatology, St. Joseph's Health Care, London, Ontario, Canada

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Rheumatology Clinic, St. Joseph's Health Care

London, Ontario, Canada

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Canada

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Dr. Janet E Pope, MD PhD

Role: CONTACT

519-646-6332

Amanda Philip

Role: CONTACT

519-646-6000 ext. 61228

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Dr. Janet E Pope, MD PhD

Role: primary

519-646-6332

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Komocsi A, Vorobcsuk A, Faludi R, Pinter T, Lenkey Z, Kolto G, Czirjak L. The impact of cardiopulmonary manifestations on the mortality of SSc: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2012 Jun;51(6):1027-36. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker357. Epub 2012 Jan 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22223705 (View on PubMed)

Nihtyanova SI, Schreiber BE, Ong VH, Rosenberg D, Moinzadeh P, Coghlan JG, Wells AU, Denton CP. Prediction of pulmonary complications and long-term survival in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014 Jun;66(6):1625-35. doi: 10.1002/art.38390.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24591477 (View on PubMed)

Young A, Khanna D. Systemic sclerosis: a systematic review on therapeutic management from 2011 to 2014. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2015 May;27(3):241-8. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000172.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25775190 (View on PubMed)

Kowal-Bielecka O, Veale DJ. DMARDs in systemic sclerosis: do they exist? In: Distler O, ed. Scleroderma-modern aspects of pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. Uni-MedVerlag AG: Bremen-London-Boston; 2009: 89-95.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Khanna D, Berrocal VJ, Giannini EH, Seibold JR, Merkel PA, Mayes MD, Baron M, Clements PJ, Steen V, Assassi S, Schiopu E, Phillips K, Simms RW, Allanore Y, Denton CP, Distler O, Johnson SR, Matucci-Cerinic M, Pope JE, Proudman SM, Siegel J, Wong WK, Wells AU, Furst DE. The American College of Rheumatology Provisional Composite Response Index for Clinical Trials in Early Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016 Feb;68(2):299-311. doi: 10.1002/art.39501.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26808827 (View on PubMed)

Valentini G, Silman AJ, Veale D. Assessment of disease activity. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003;21(3 Suppl 29):S39-41.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12889221 (View on PubMed)

Medsger TA Jr, Bombardieri S, Czirjak L, Scorza R, Della Rossa A, Bencivelli W. Assessment of disease severity and prognosis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003;21(3 Suppl 29):S42-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12889222 (View on PubMed)

Ong VH, Denton CP. Innovative therapies for systemic sclerosis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2010 May;22(3):264-72. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0b013e328337c3d6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20190640 (View on PubMed)

Becker MO, Bruckner C, Scherer HU, Wassermann N, Humrich JY, Hanitsch LG, Schneider U, Kawald A, Hanke K, Burmester GR, Riemekasten G. The monoclonal anti-CD25 antibody basiliximab for the treatment of progressive systemic sclerosis: an open-label study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2011 Jul;70(7):1340-1. doi: 10.1136/ard.2010.137935. Epub 2010 Nov 10. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21068100 (View on PubMed)

Rook AH, Freundlich B, Jegasothy BV, Perez MI, Barr WG, Jimenez SA, Rietschel RL, Wintroub B, Kahaleh MB, Varga J, et al. Treatment of systemic sclerosis with extracorporeal photochemotherapy. Results of a multicenter trial. Arch Dermatol. 1992 Mar;128(3):337-46.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1550365 (View on PubMed)

Knobler RM, French LE, Kim Y, Bisaccia E, Graninger W, Nahavandi H, Strobl FJ, Keystone E, Mehlmauer M, Rook AH, Braverman I; Systemic Sclerosis Study Group. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of photopheresis in systemic sclerosis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 May;54(5):793-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2005.11.1091.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16635659 (View on PubMed)

Enomoto DN, Mekkes JR, Bossuyt PM, Yong SL, Out TA, Hoekzema R, de Rie MA, Schellekens PT, ten Berge IJ, de Borgie CA, Bos JD. Treatment of patients with systemic sclerosis with extracorporeal photochemotherapy (photopheresis). J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999 Dec;41(6):915-22. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(99)70246-x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10570373 (View on PubMed)

Oon S, Huq M, Godfrey T, Nikpour M. Systematic review, and meta-analysis of steroid-sparing effect, of biologic agents in randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials for systemic lupus erythematosus. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018 Oct;48(2):221-239. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2018.01.001. Epub 2018 Jan 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29426575 (View on PubMed)

Pope JE, Baron M, Bellamy N, Campbell J, Carette S, Chalmers I, Dales P, Hanly J, Kaminska EA, Lee P, et al. Variability of skin scores and clinical measurements in scleroderma. J Rheumatol. 1995 Jul;22(7):1271-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7562757 (View on PubMed)

Clements P, Lachenbruch P, Siebold J, White B, Weiner S, Martin R, Weinstein A, Weisman M, Mayes M, Collier D, et al. Inter and intraobserver variability of total skin thickness score (modified Rodnan TSS) in systemic sclerosis. J Rheumatol. 1995 Jul;22(7):1281-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7562759 (View on PubMed)

Clements PJ, Lachenbruch PA, Seibold JR, Zee B, Steen VD, Brennan P, Silman AJ, Allegar N, Varga J, Massa M, et al. Skin thickness score in systemic sclerosis: an assessment of interobserver variability in 3 independent studies. J Rheumatol. 1993 Nov;20(11):1892-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8308774 (View on PubMed)

Furst DE, Khanna D, Mattucci-Cerinic M, Silman AJ, Merkel PA, Foeldvari I; OMERACT 7 Special Interest Group. Scleroderma--developing measures of response. J Rheumatol. 2005 Dec;32(12):2477-80.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16331791 (View on PubMed)

Pope JE, Bellamy N. Outcome measurement in scleroderma clinical trials. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1993 Aug;23(1):22-33. doi: 10.1016/s0049-0172(05)80024-1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8235663 (View on PubMed)

Pope J, McBain D, Petrlich L, Watson S, Vanderhoek L, de Leon F, Seney S, Summers K. Imatinib in active diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: Results of a six-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept pilot study at a single center. Arthritis Rheum. 2011 Nov;63(11):3547-51. doi: 10.1002/art.30549.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21769850 (View on PubMed)

Gordon JK, Martyanov V, Franks JM, Bernstein EJ, Szymonifka J, Magro C, Wildman HF, Wood TA, Whitfield ML, Spiera RF. Belimumab for the Treatment of Early Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis: Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Pilot Trial. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018 Feb;70(2):308-316. doi: 10.1002/art.40358. Epub 2017 Dec 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29073351 (View on PubMed)

Boyang Z, Nevskaya T, Pope J et al. Improvement in Skin Score after 2 Years in Early Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis (dcSSc) Patients is Associated with Improvement in Multiple Other Domains of Disease Measurement. J Rheumatol 2018 abstract from the Canadian Rheumatology Association February 2020 meeting (Vancouver).

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Merkel PA, Silliman NP, Clements PJ, Denton CP, Furst DE, Mayes MD, Pope JE, Polisson RP, Streisand JB, Seibold JR; Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium. Patterns and predictors of change in outcome measures in clinical trials in scleroderma: an individual patient meta-analysis of 629 subjects with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum. 2012 Oct;64(10):3420-9. doi: 10.1002/art.34427.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22328195 (View on PubMed)

van Laar JM, Farge D, Sont JK, Naraghi K, Marjanovic Z, Larghero J, Schuerwegh AJ, Marijt EW, Vonk MC, Schattenberg AV, Matucci-Cerinic M, Voskuyl AE, van de Loosdrecht AA, Daikeler T, Kotter I, Schmalzing M, Martin T, Lioure B, Weiner SM, Kreuter A, Deligny C, Durand JM, Emery P, Machold KP, Sarrot-Reynauld F, Warnatz K, Adoue DF, Constans J, Tony HP, Del Papa N, Fassas A, Himsel A, Launay D, Lo Monaco A, Philippe P, Quere I, Rich E, Westhovens R, Griffiths B, Saccardi R, van den Hoogen FH, Fibbe WE, Socie G, Gratwohl A, Tyndall A; EBMT/EULAR Scleroderma Study Group. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation vs intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2014 Jun 25;311(24):2490-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.6368.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25058083 (View on PubMed)

Sullivan KM, Goldmuntz EA, Keyes-Elstein L, McSweeney PA, Pinckney A, Welch B, Mayes MD, Nash RA, Crofford LJ, Eggleston B, Castina S, Griffith LM, Goldstein JS, Wallace D, Craciunescu O, Khanna D, Folz RJ, Goldin J, St Clair EW, Seibold JR, Phillips K, Mineishi S, Simms RW, Ballen K, Wener MH, Georges GE, Heimfeld S, Hosing C, Forman S, Kafaja S, Silver RM, Griffing L, Storek J, LeClercq S, Brasington R, Csuka ME, Bredeson C, Keever-Taylor C, Domsic RT, Kahaleh MB, Medsger T, Furst DE; SCOT Study Investigators. Myeloablative Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation for Severe Scleroderma. N Engl J Med. 2018 Jan 4;378(1):35-47. doi: 10.1056/nejmoa1703327.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29298160 (View on PubMed)

Fernandez-Codina A, Walker KM, Pope JE; Scleroderma Algorithm Group. Treatment Algorithms for Systemic Sclerosis According to Experts. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018 Nov;70(11):1820-1828. doi: 10.1002/art.40560. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29781586 (View on PubMed)

Khanna D, Denton CP, Lin CJF, van Laar JM, Frech TM, Anderson ME, Baron M, Chung L, Fierlbeck G, Lakshminarayanan S, Allanore Y, Pope JE, Riemekasten G, Steen V, Muller-Ladner U, Spotswood H, Burke L, Siegel J, Jahreis A, Furst DE. Safety and efficacy of subcutaneous tocilizumab in systemic sclerosis: results from the open-label period of a phase II randomised controlled trial (faSScinate). Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Feb;77(2):212-220. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211682. Epub 2017 Oct 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29066464 (View on PubMed)

Namas R, Tashkin DP, Furst DE, Wilhalme H, Tseng CH, Roth MD, Kafaja S, Volkmann E, Clements PJ, Khanna D; Participants in the Scleroderma Lung Study I and members of the Scleroderma Lung Study II Research Group. Efficacy of Mycophenolate Mofetil and Oral Cyclophosphamide on Skin Thickness: Post Hoc Analyses From Two Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Mar;70(3):439-444. doi: 10.1002/acr.23282. Epub 2018 Feb 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28544580 (View on PubMed)

Gazi H, Pope JE, Clements P, Medsger TA, Martin RW, Merkel PA, Kahaleh B, Wollheim FA, Baron M, Csuka ME, Emery P, Belch JF, Hayat S, Lally EV, Korn JH, Czirjak L, Herrick A, Voskuyl AE, Bruehlmann P, Inanc M, Furst DE, Black C, Ellman MH, Moreland LW, Rothfield NF, Hsu V, Mayes M, McKown KM, Krieg T, Siebold JR. Outcome measurements in scleroderma: results from a delphi exercise. J Rheumatol. 2007 Mar;34(3):501-9. Epub 2007 Feb 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17299843 (View on PubMed)

van den Hoogen F, Khanna D, Fransen J, Johnson SR, Baron M, Tyndall A, Matucci-Cerinic M, Naden RP, Medsger TA Jr, Carreira PE, Riemekasten G, Clements PJ, Denton CP, Distler O, Allanore Y, Furst DE, Gabrielli A, Mayes MD, van Laar JM, Seibold JR, Czirjak L, Steen VD, Inanc M, Kowal-Bielecka O, Muller-Ladner U, Valentini G, Veale DJ, Vonk MC, Walker UA, Chung L, Collier DH, Csuka ME, Fessler BJ, Guiducci S, Herrick A, Hsu VM, Jimenez S, Kahaleh B, Merkel PA, Sierakowski S, Silver RM, Simms RW, Varga J, Pope JE. 2013 classification criteria for systemic sclerosis: an American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism collaborative initiative. Arthritis Rheum. 2013 Nov;65(11):2737-47. doi: 10.1002/art.38098. Epub 2013 Oct 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24122180 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

ECR-CAN-011068

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Epidermal Cell Transplantation in Vitiligo Skin
NCT01629979 COMPLETED PHASE2/PHASE3