A Pilot Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Dupilumab Versus Placebo in Patients With Netherton Syndrome (NS-DUPI)

September 15, 2026 updated by: University Hospital, Toulouse

A Randomized Double-blinded Pilot Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Dupilumab Versus Placebo in Patients With Netherton Syndrome

To date, there are no effective therapy for the management of Netherton Syndrome (NS) Patients use emollients with a limited efficacy on scaling and no efficacy on skin inflammation and pruritus. They may also use topical corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors in case of eczematous lesions. The use of therapies targeting skin inflammation has been reported in a few case reports. Their efficacy is very limited and their uses are limited because of the chronicity of the disease, the impaired skin barrier function and the risk for skin infections and skin cancers. Therefore, there is a huge medical need for novel therapies in NS.The expected consequences of this study are that a 16-week course of dupilumab will be more effective than placebo for the treatment of moderate to severe NS Dupilumab could therefore improve skin condition and quality of life.

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

This is a proof of concept (pilot) double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of dupilumab for the treatment of NS. Patients will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive dupilumab (2 doses of 300 mg), or placebo, at baseline and then 1 dose of dupilumab 300 mg, or placebo, every 2 weeks until week 14 (total of 8 administrations).Moderate to severe NS were selected in order to be able to measure the improvement of skin condition.

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 (Actual)

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.
10

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
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • France
      • Paris, France, 75015
        • Dermatologie Necker
      • Toulouse, France
        • Dermatology

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients affiliated to a social insurance protection regimen.
  • Clinical diagnosis of NS (7) (trichorrhexis invaginata, extensive scaling, skin inflammation, allergic manifestations) and absent or marked reduction of LEKTI staining.
  • Moderate to severe forms: NASA (Netherton Area Severity Assessment score) score ≥ 5/12 at inclusion.
  • Patients able to understand the study procedures including the ability to complete patient-based self-assessment questionnaires.
  • Patients who agree to sign the written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hypersensitivity to dupilumab or its excipients.
  • Modification of the usual treatment (emollients and topical corticosteroids used on a regular basis) within 2 weeks before inclusion.
  • Treatment with topical calcineurin inhibitors 1 week before inclusion.
  • Treatment with oral immunosuppressant (including cyclosporine, methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil), oral retinoids (acitretin, alitretinoin, isotretinoin) or phototherapy within 4 weeks before inclusion.
  • Treatment with immunomodulating biologics (Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) inhibitor) 16 weeks before inclusion.
  • Treatment with another investigational drug within 8 weeks before inclusion.
  • Treatment with a systemic antibiotic within 2 weeks before inclusion.
  • Active skin infection requiring the use of a systemic therapy within 2 weeks before the inclusion.
  • Any other condition that according to the investigator will impair the ability to evaluate treatment effect.
  • Known or suspected history of immunosuppression, including history of invasive opportunistic infections (e.g., tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, listeriosis, coccidioidomycosis, pneumocystis, aspergillosis).
  • Current infections including infection with helminthes.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women planning to become pregnant or breastfeed during the study. Women of childbearing age, potentially sexually active, and unwilling to use adequate birth control methods.
  • Mental or physical incapacity to fill in the questionnaires.

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

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: Dupilumab

The patient will receive 2 doses at baseline and then 1 dose every 2 weeks (8 administrations in total) of Dupilumab 300 mg (syringe of 2 mL for subcutaneous administration).
Drug: Dupilumab Prefilled Syringe

administration of dupilumab corresponding to dupilumab arm
Placebo Comparator: Placebo

The patient will receive 2 doses at baseline and then 1 dose every 2 weeks (8 administrations in total) of placebo (syringe of 2 mL for subcutaneous administration)..
Other: Placebo Prefilled Syringe

administration of placebo corresponding to placebo arm

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
The severity of the disease of the Netherton Area Severity Assessment score (NASA).
Time Frame: Day 0 and week 16

NASA score
Day 0 and week 16

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
Clinical efficacy severity of pruritus and pain
Time Frame: Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28

NASA score
Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28
Presence of infections (adverse event)
Time Frame: Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28

Number of Bacterial or viral Skin infections
Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28
Quantity of dermocorticosteroids used between each visit will be evaluated by questioning the patient.
Time Frame: Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28

number of tubes multiplied by the weight of one tube
Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28
QOL score
Time Frame: Day 0, Week 16 and 28

QOL score
Day 0, Week 16 and 28
Skin inflammation
Time Frame: Day 0 and week 16

number of inflammation markers on biopsies
Day 0 and week 16
Protease activity
Time Frame: Day 0 and week 16

number of protease markers on biopsies
Day 0 and week 16
Microbiome qualitative and quantitative analysis
Time Frame: Day 0 and week 16

number and form of bacteria
Day 0 and week 16
Transepidermal water loss (TEWL)
Time Frame: Day 0 and Week 16

Measured by a Tewameter applied on a standardized area in the anterior aspect of the forearm,
Day 0 and Week 16
Safety of dupilumab
Time Frame: Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28

Blood tests performed every month until Week 16 (liver and renal tests, total blood count)
Day 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 14, week 16, week 28

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.
University Hospital, Toulouse

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
MedSharing

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.
  • Principal Investigator: Juliette MAZEREEUW-HAUTIER, Toulouse Hospital

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.
July 23, 2020

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.
June 1, 2022

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.
November 15, 2022

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).
January 13, 2020

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.
January 24, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

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.
January 28, 2020

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.
September 21, 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.
September 15, 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.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • RC31/19/0045

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

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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