Topical Eflornithine for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae: Randomized Controlled Trial

January 29, 2024 updated by: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Topical Eflornithine Hydrochloride for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled Trial

To study the efficacy of topical eflornithine for pseudofolliculitis barbae from a quality of life standpoint and with objective physician-measured lesion counts. Our hypothesis is that the hair growth retardation that occurs with eflornithine will perhaps reduce the frequency over time that service members need to shave which could improve the formation of PFB lesions.

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

Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), or 'ingrown hairs,' is a common skin disease of the face and neck caused by shaving in predisposed individuals who have naturally curly hair. It affects a disproportionate number of African American Service Members - up to 45% in one study.(Alexander, 1974) Keeping a close shave is a requirement for service in all of the Unites States armed services, and as a result, PFB is a major cause of morbidity in this population. The main rationale behind this policy is that a beard prevents a proper seal when using breathing protection devices, in particular gas masks. A review of various dermatologic conditions seen in wartime found that the incidence of PFB was 5.9% during the Vietnam War and 1.8% during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (Gelman, 2015). The authors argued that this was due to a relaxing of the shaving standards as part of the update PFB protocol followed during OIF. However, the United States Navy recently announced a change to their PFB protocol, discontinuing the issuance of permanent "no-shave" chits. Laser hair removal (LHR) using the Neodymium: Yttrium-Garnet (Nd:Yag) laser is the current treatment of choice for the majority of patients who fail conservative treatment with topical retinoids, antibiotics, and optimization of shaving practices. However, LHR treatment can induce a permanent change in facial hair density and patients treated with this modality may have to accept a permanent change in their ability to grow a beard. In addition, laser treatments have a potential for operative discomfort along with blistering and dyspigmentation of skin. Eflornithine is a topical medication that is FDA indicated for the treatment of unwanted terminal hairs in women. It works by its action as an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme responsible for the formation of polyamines which allow for various proliferative activities in the skin. It is the only known topical treatment that can retard the growth of human hair. Xia et al. showed that this medication can be used in conjunction with LHR to enhance the efficacy of the treatment for PFB(Xia, 2012). However, there are no studies to date that look at eflornithine as monotherapy for the treatment of PFB. The Unites States Navy has included topical eflornithine as a potential PFB treatment in their latest Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) instruction despite the lack of evidence behind its use. If shown to be efficacious, this medication would provide a cost-effective treatment for PFB, especially in medical practices that do not have a hair removal laser. In addition, the effects of eflornithine are reversible with discontinuation, making it an ideal choice for patients and service members who would like to retain their ability to grow normal beards.

Goal: To study the efficacy of topical eflornithine for pseudofolliculitis barbae from an objective physician-measured lesion count. Our hypothesis is that the hair growth retardation that occurs with eflornithine will perhaps reduce the frequency over time that service members need to shave which could improve the formation of PFB lesions.

Plan

  1. Recruitment of patients that meet inclusion criteria (No LHR treatments in the past year, Not pregnant or breast feeding).
  2. Provide written informed consent.
  3. Patients instructed to discontinue all other treatment modalities for PFB (plucking, waxing, chemical depilatories, topical retinoids).
  4. Patients receive two identical 30-g jars from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center research pharmacist. The jars will be labeled "left" and "right" and randomized by the pharmacy using a random number generator.
  5. Initial lesion counts and Skin Disease on Quality of Life survey measurements taken. Two (left and right) 2-cm circles drawn at the junction of the submental chin and anterior neck for the lesion counts.
  6. Patients begin applying a thin layer of each cream corresponding to the site of application (left and right beard) twice a day.
  7. Follow up at 4 week intervals, at which the number of hairs and inflammatory papules will be counted within the two 2-cm circles on the submental chin by two dermatology residents or staff dermatologists.
  8. Patient then goes to research pharmacist. Pharmacist weighs both eflornithine as well as placebo cream to measure compliance. Re-issue new 30-g jars.
  9. At week 16, final lesions counts administered.
  10. Data is analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.
  11. Findings published.

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.
9

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 4

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.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20814
        • Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

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 to 64 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Active Duty Service Members with Pseudofolliculitis Barbae

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous treatment with laser hair removal in the previous 12 months, Currently pregnant, seeking pregnancy, or breast feeding

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: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

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.
Active Comparator: Paired(right and left neck) comparison group eflornithine
randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, paired (right and left neck) comparison study examining eflornithine versus placebo for the treatment of PFB.
Drug: Eflornithine Topical
Subjects will apply placebo to one side of beard and eflornithine to other side for 16 weeks.
Placebo Comparator: Paired(right and left neck) comparison group placebo
randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, paired (right and left neck) comparison study examining eflornithine versus placebo for the treatment of PFB.
Drug: Placebo Eflornithine Topical
Subjects will apply placebo to one side of beard and eflornithine to other side for 16 weeks.

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
number of skin lesions
Time Frame: 16 weeks
number of skin lesions
16 weeks

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
number of hairs
Time Frame: 16 weeks
number of hairs
16 weeks

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.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

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: Sunghun Cho, MD, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

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 27, 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 22, 2023

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.
June 22, 2023

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).
May 21, 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.
May 26, 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.
May 27, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
January 31, 2024

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.
January 29, 2024

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.
January 1, 2024

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.
  • WRNMMC-2020-0298

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The PI will compile the names of the patients who are followed through week 16 in order to create the master subject list. Using the information stored on the master subject list (name, social security number, Medical Record Number), the research team will obtain data electronically from the patient medical records. Specifically, the lesion and hair counts on the face will be acquired. This will be recorded on the master data sheet. The master subject list will be password protected and only accessible to study personnel within the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) network. The master data sheet will be coded and available to the investigators and may be shared with research assistants or statisticians.

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.

Yes

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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