The ASCEND Study: Evaluating TMB-001 in the Treatment of RXLI or ARCI Ichthyosis

NCT ID: NCT05295732

Last Updated: 2025-11-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE3
• Total Enrollment: 153 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-06-21
• Study Completion Date: 2024-09-23

Brief Summary

This is a randomized, double-blind and vehicle-controlled Phase III study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical TMB-001 0.05% ointment for the treatment of congenital ichthyosis (CI) in subjects with either the RXLI or ARCI subtypes.

In addition, a subset of preselected centers will recruit subjects in parallel with either the RXLI or ARCI subtypes for enrollment into an Optional Maximal Use arm for evaluation of the systemic exposure and safety of topical TMB-001 0.05% ointment for the treatment of CI.

The Phase III Study is designed in three periods:

• Period 1 - Induction (3 weeks):

At the beginning of the 3-week Induction Period, eligible subjects will be randomized (2:1 ratio) to either TMB-001 0.05% once-a-day (QD) or Vehicle QD treatment, with use of mandatory standardized bland emollient (Cetaphil™) provided by the Sponsor.

• Period 2 - Treatment (9 weeks):

The dosing frequency in the 9-week treatment period will be increased in each treatment group to TMB-001 0.05% BID or Vehicle BID. Mandatory bland emollient will be discontinued.

• Period 3 - Maintenance (12 weeks):

At Week 12, eligible subjects in the TMB-001 treatment group will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to an open-label treatment with TMB-001 0.05% BID or TMB-001 0.05% QD. To be eligible, subjects must have achieved a ≥1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline. Subjects with less than a 1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline will be discontinued from the study.

Vehicle-treated subjects who achieved <1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline are eligible to cross over to the TMB-001 0.05% BID treatment group. Subjects with a ≥1-point reduction in IGA score from Baseline on vehicle will be discontinued from the study.

Subjects at the end of the study or subjects discontinued from the study at any time will be followed-up for additional 2 weeks for AEs.

Detailed Description

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled Phase III study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TMB-001 0.05% topical ointment in the treatment of CI. Subjects will be selected according to predefined entry criteria. The study treatment duration is 24 weeks and expected to be sufficient to show a treatment effect.

Isotretinoin is an approved active pharmacological ingredient with a long history of safe use in humans. However, isotretinoin is a known teratogen with an extremely high risk for severe birth defects if pregnancy occur while taking oral isotretinoin in any amount, even for a short period of time. Therefore oral, systemic isotretinoin requires an iPLEDGE program (iPLEDGE 2012), which is a risk management distribution program mandated by the FDA. To minimize pregnancy risks, women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) will only be enrolled if they agree to use highly effective methods of contraception consistently and correctly and undergo regular pregnancy testing.

To minimize bias, subjects will be blinded and randomly assigned to treatment with TMB-001 0.05% or Vehicle, additionally subjects who had previously been treated with TMB 001 will be excluded from this study but can be enrolled in the optional Maximal Use arm (in a subset of preselected centers). The use of a vehicle control group is consistent with FDA's standard for generating valid scientific evidence to definitively support safety and efficacy. The vehicle group accounts for the effects of treatment that do not depend on the test treatment. The study is designed to mitigate safety risks by using an initial 2:1 randomization (active treatment to vehicle), along with frequent clinic visits over the 12-week treatment period. The subsequent 1:1 randomization of eligible TMB-001 0.05% treated subjects to two dosing regimen (QD or BID) allows for assessment of the optimal TMB-001 0.05% maintenance therapy as well as provides additional safety data for 12 weeks. The cross-over of eligible subjects from the vehicle control group will also provide additional safety data.

Overall, the study design is considered to be scientifically robust and clinically relevant for evaluating TMB-001 0.05% treatment for the safe and effective treatment of CI.

Conditions

Ichthyosis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: QUADRUPLE

Study Groups

TMB-001 0.05%

TMB-001 0.05% ointment: Induction phase QD for 3 weeks, followed by BID for 9 weeks. Maintenance therapy for additional 12 weeks randomized QD vs BID

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

TMB-001

Intervention Type: DRUG

Topical TMB-001 0.05% QD/BID

Vehicle

Matching vehicle ointment: Induction phase QD for 3 weeks, followed by BID for 9 weeks. Cross over to 12 weeks TMB-001 0.05% BID.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Matching Vehicle

Intervention Type: DRUG

Topical Vehicle

Maximal use

Optional Parallel Arm to evaluate the systemic exposure and safety of TMB-001 0.05% under conditions of maximal use.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

TMB-001

Intervention Type: DRUG

Topical TMB-001 0.05% QD/BID

Interventions

TMB-001

Topical TMB-001 0.05% QD/BID

Intervention Type: DRUG

Matching Vehicle

Topical Vehicle

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Subject is male or female, 6 years of age and older at Visit 2 (Baseline).

2. Subject has provided written informed consent/assent. A subject under 18 years of age must provide written informed assent and be accompanied by the parent or legal guardian at the time of consent/assent signing. The parent or legal guardian must provide informed consent for the subject. If a subject becomes 18 years of age during the study, the subject must provide written informed consent at that time to continue study participation.

3. Females must be postmenopausal (defined as amenorrhea greater than 12 consecutive months in women 50 years of age and older), surgically sterile (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy), or use 2 acceptable forms of birth control. WOCBP must have a negative serum pregnancy test at screening and negative urine pregnancy test (UPT) at Visit 2 (Baseline) (UPTs must have a minimum sensitivity to detect 25 mIU beta human chorionic gonadotropin [β hCG]/mL). Female subjects who become sexually active or begin to have relations with a partner during the study must agree to use 2 forms of birth control for 30 days prior to having relations and to continue such forms of birth control for the duration of the study.

5. The amount of CI affected skin in the Treatment Area at Baseline will be between a minimum of 10% and maximum of 90% of the total BSA (1% BSA is approximately equal to the surface area of the subject's palm and fingers, with the fingers extended yet grouped together, creating a flat oval-like surface area).

• For the Optional Maximal Use arm: The amount of CI affected skin in the Treatment Area at Baseline will be between a minimum of 75% and maximum of 90% of the total BSA.

6. Documented history of moderate to severe disease at Screening. Subject's designated VIIS Assessment Areas at Baseline (not applicable for Optional Maximal Use arm):

• Include any of the 4 VIIS Assessment Areas that have some CI disease involving: (a) the upper back from the posterior axillary fold to the other encompassing the T1-T10, (b) the upper arm (excluding elbows), left or right, (c) the shin/lower leg (the portion below the proximal aspect of the kneecap), left or right, and (d) dorsal foot (left or right); AND
• At least 2 of the 4 VIIS Assessment Areas MUST have a scaling score of 3 or more.

7. Subject's IGA score in the Treatment Area at Baseline must be 3 or more.

8. Subject and parent/guardian (if applicable) are willing and able to apply the study treatment(s) as directed, comply with study instructions, and commit to all follow-up visits for the duration of the study.

9. Subject, in the Investigator's opinion, is in good general health and free of any disease state or physical condition that might impair evaluation of the Treatment Areas or exposes the subject to an unacceptable risk by study participation.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Subject is pregnant, lactating, or is planning to become pregnant during the study.

2. Subject has inflammatory skin diseases that confound the interpretation of results (e.g., atopic dermatitis) unrelated to ichthyosis.

3. Subject has genetic abnormality consistent with non-lamellar type or syndromic ichthyoses (including but not exclusively KRT1, KRT10, KRT2, GJB3, GJB4, CDSN)

4. Subject, in the Treatment Areas, has used: (a) any topical prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) therapies (except emollients, keratolytics, and topical steroids - see below), that are intended for, or that in the opinion of the Investigator, may improve CI within 2 weeks of Visit 2 (Baseline), or (b) keratolytics or topical corticosteroids within 5 days prior to Visit 2 (Baseline).

5. Subject, in the Treatment Areas, has used TMB-001 in the past or oral isotretinoin in the past 12 months (not applicable for Optional Maximal Use arm).

6. Subject has used any topical products in the Treatment Areas, including bland emollients, on Visit 2 (Baseline).

7. Subject has used ultraviolet (UV) treatment within 4 weeks prior to Visit 2 (Baseline).

8. Subject has undergone systemic therapies using vitamin A supplements or St. John's Wort within 4 weeks prior to Visit 2 (Baseline). Note: Use of a multivitamin including vitamin A is not exclusionary provided it is taken as directed on the packaging.

9. Subject is immunosuppressed (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus, systemic malignancy, graft host disease) or receives systemic immunotherapy.

10. Subject is currently taking concomitant immunosuppressive drugs, including systemic corticosteroids, within 2 weeks of Visit 2 (Baseline).

11. Subject has untreated secondary infections; however, subject may become eligible after successful treatment of his/her infection(s) at the Investigator's discretion.

12. Subject is currently enrolled in an investigational drug or device study or has used an investigational drug or investigational device treatment within 30 days or five half-lives prior to Visit 2 (Baseline).

13. Subject has lesions suspicious for skin cancer (if skin cancer is not ruled out by biopsy) or untreated skin cancers within the Treatment Areas.

14. Subject has a physical condition or other dermatologic disorder that, in the Investigator's opinion, might impair evaluation of CI, or that exposes the subject to unacceptable risk by study participation.

15. Subjects with ALT or AST >2 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) and/or creatinine >1.5 x ULN.

16. Subject is unable to communicate or cooperate with the Investigator due to language problems, impaired cerebral function, or physical limitations.

17. Subject has a history of drug or alcohol abuse within the past 6 months, or if suspected to be noncompliant or is unlikely to comply with the requirements of the study protocol (e.g., due to alcoholism, drug dependency, mental incapacity) in the opinion of the Investigator.

18. Subject has a history of sensitivity to any of the ingredients in the study treatments.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 6 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

LEO Pharma

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Timber Pharmaceuticals Inc.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

U.S. Dermatology Partners

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Stanford University School of Medicine

Palo Alto, California, United States

About Skin Dermatology

Centennial, Colorado, United States

Yale Center for Clinical Investigation

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami

Miami, Florida, United States

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Dawes Fretzin Clinical Research Group, LLC

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

The Indiana Clinical Trials Center

Plainfield, Indiana, United States

Associated Skincare Specialists

New Brighton, Minnesota, United States

University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC)

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Optima Research

Boardman, Ohio, United States

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Austin Institute for Clinical Research

Houston, Texas, United States

Austin Institute for Clinical Research, Inc.

Pflugerville, Texas, United States

Virginia Clinical Research-Pariser Dermatology Specialists

Norfolk, Virginia, United States

North Sound Dermatology

Mill Creek, Washington, United States

Stollery Children's Hospital

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Dr. Chih-ho Hong Medical Inc.

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Wiseman Dermatology Research Inc.

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

SickKids Hospital

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant

Bron, , France

CHU de Nantes Hotel Dieu

Nantes, , France

Hopital Necker APHP

Paris, , France

Hopital Larrey CHU Toulouse

Toulouse, , France

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Berlin, , Germany

Universitätsklinikum Erlangen

Erlangen, , Germany

Katholisches Kinderkrankenhaus Wilhelmstift GmbH

Hamburg, , Germany

Münster University Hospital

Münster, , Germany

U.O. di Dermatologia e Venereologia Universitaria

Bari, , Italy

U.O. di Dermatologia Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale

Bologna, , Italy

Ambulatorio di Malattie Rare Dermatologiche e Immunopatologia Cutanea

Florence, , Italy

Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milano, Area Materno Infantile - SC pediatria Pneumoinfettivologia

Milan, , Italy

U.O.C. di Dermatologia Dipartimento Pediatrico Universitario Ospedaliero

Roma, , Italy

Countries

United States; Canada; France; Germany; Italy

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

TMB01-301

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

2022-000459-35

Identifier Type: EUDRACT_NUMBER

Identifier Source: secondary_id