Photodynamic Therapy for Benign Dermal Neurofibromas- Phase II

July 8, 2026 updated by: Donald Basel

Topical Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) With Levulan® Kerastick® for Benign Dermal Neurofibromas Phase II

The investigators wish to determine the time to disease progression for benign neurofibromas treated with Levulan Kerastick topical photosensitizer and red light photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

The investigators also wish to measure tumor size for control and treatment tumors in order to gain insights into tumor growth rates.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Neurofibromas contain a large quantity of fibrous matter, and it is not anticipated that significant reductions in tumor size can be achieved in large, long established, tumors. Cutaneous neurofibromas, which do not usually become apparent until puberty, continue to increase in size and number throughout adulthood. The psychosocial burden of these disfiguring tumors is significant, and the targeted age group (14-30) is at a life period associated with an acceleration in tumor growth. It is for these reasons that the investigators hope to affect the growth rate of less established tumors, in order to prevent or lessen this burden as the patient progresses further into adulthood.

Therefore, the investigators wish to determine the time to disease progression (defined as 50% growth in size over baseline) for benign neurofibromas treated with PDT in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) in subjects aged 14-30.

The treatment will consist of choosing several neurofibromas of similar size, and applying a topical drug called Levulan, or just the topical application alone (a placebo). Within 24 hours of drug treatment, the neurofibromas will be illuminated with red light (both Levulan and placebo). The Levulan is what is known as a photosensitizer, and will be activated by the red light to potentially kill some of the tumor cells. Approximately every 6 months after, for three years, the tumors will be measured by digital photography and ultrasound to see if they are growing more slowly than the ones with the placebo application alone.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Donald G Basel, MD
  • Phone Number: 414-266-4921
  • Email: dbasel@mcw.edu

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Paula Engelking, BS, CRC
  • Phone Number: 414-266-3289
  • Email: pengelki@mcw.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Wisconsin
      • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53226
        • Donald G Basel

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years to 30 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patient is 14 years or older.
  2. Diagnosed NF1, determined by American Academy of Neurology Guidelines (see Diagnosis section).
  3. Tumor Location: cutaneous, trunk, or limbs only.
  4. Tumor Type: superficial dermal neurofibromas ≤4mm deep.
  5. Patient has provided written informed consent.
  6. Patient is willing to and can comply with study follow-up requirements.
  7. Absence of any other malignancy.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Life expectancy less than 3 years.
  2. Pregnancy.
  3. Cutaneous photosensitivity to the wavelengths used to active PDT.
  4. A diagnosis of porphyria.
  5. Allergy to aminolevulinic acid or any of the topical solution vehicle components.
  6. Previous chemotherapy within 6 weeks of proposed PDT.
  7. Other concurrent tumor therapy.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: PDT Treatment

Each subject will have either placebo or Levulan Kerastick topical application applied to matched sets of neurofibromas. Each subject will have both sets, in order to serve as his/her own control subject.

16 to 24 hours post study drug treatment, both sets of neurofibromas, Levulan and placebo treated, will be irradiated with red light (630 nm) from an Omnilux Revive light device at 100 mW/cm2 for 1000 seconds (16.7 minutes).
Drug: aminolevulinic acid

Drug: Levulan Kerastick

Drug: Topical placebo

Device: Omnilux Revive

Procedure: Photodynamic therapy

Other: Tumor growth rate measurements

Other Names:
  • Photodynamic therapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to disease progression
Time Frame: 3 years
The time it takes for 50% growth in tumor size over baseline measurements.
3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Tumor growth rate
Time Frame: 3 years
Measure tumor size for control and treatment tumors in order to gain insights into tumor growth rates.
3 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Donald Basel

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Donald G Basel, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 16, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 25, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 30, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 5, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 8, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PRO00026795

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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