Testing the Role of Anti-fungal Therapy in Improving the Response to Therapies for Crohn's Disease (FUN-CD)

August 18, 2026 updated by: Weill Medical College of Cornell University

A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial of Fluconazole in Combination With IL-23 Therapy Versus IL-23 Therapy Alone for the Treatment of Crohn's Disease

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effects of fluconazole in patients who plan to start or are currently undergoing standard of care treatment and plan to dose-escalate an IL-23 therapy for their Crohn's disease.

The main question it aims to assess is whether or not patient response to IL-23 therapies improve when simultaneously treated with fluconazole.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy and safety of fluconazole in combination with IL-23 therapy versus IL-23 therapy alone for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD). IL-23 therapy may include ustekinumab (anti-interleukin-12/23), risankizumab (anti-interleukin-23), or guselkumab (anti-interleukin-23).

Subjects will be stratified into two groups based on standard of care treatment: IL-23 therapy initiation or IL-23 therapy dose escalation. Subjects in each group will then be randomized to one of two treatment arms:

  1. IL-23 Therapy with Fluconazole (200 mg on Day 0 and 100 mg on Days 1-13)
  2. IL-23 Therapy with Placebo (200 mg on Day 0 and 100 mg on Days 1-13)

Subjects will blindly receive the fluconazole treatment only if they meet all inclusion and exclusion criteria. They will have an ancillary visit at Weill Cornell or a local laboratory of their choosing 2 weeks post-treatment initiation. Subjects will also return for a standard of care clinic visit 12 weeks post-treatment initiation. Disease activity will be assessed at standard of care visits. Stool, blood, and oral swab samples will collected for research from subjects at Day 0 (pre-treatment initiation) and Week 12 post-treatment initiation. Subjects may also opt in to provide these samples at Week 2 post-treatment initiation and Week 8 post-treatment initiation. If subjects consent to biopsies, biopsies will also be collected for research at endoscopic procedures (colonoscopies and/or flexible sigmoidoscopies). Subjects may opt in to return at Week 24 and 1 year post-treatment initiation for standard of care visits, where blood, stool, and oral swabs would also be collected for research.

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.
120

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 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 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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Recruiting
        • Weill Cornell Medicine
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Dana Lukin, MD, PhD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Randy Longman, MD, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Ellen Scherl, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Iliyan Iliev, PhD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients at least 18 years old
  2. Patients with mild to moderate Crohn's disease as defined by CDAI score of 150-450

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Antifungal usage within one month prior to initiation of blinded fluconazole usage
  2. Known allergy to fluconazole
  3. Patients with known hepatic disease, cirrhosis, or with elevated liver biochemistries (e.g., transaminase(s) >3X upper limit of normal (ULN), and/or bilirubin levels >1.5X ULN (with exception of confirmed Gilbert's disease) at baseline
  4. Patients taking any medications judged by clinical provider to interact with fluconazole and are known contraindications (refer to section 2.2) and cause serious adverse events, including but not limited to death, cardiac events, serious cardiac dysrhythmias, and prolongation of QTc
  5. Pregnant or lactating women
  6. Severe Crohn's disease defined by a PRO-2 score ≥ 34 or imminent need for surgery, or deemed not medically fit by physician
  7. Patient with symptomatic stricturing
  8. Patient with pouchitis or an ostomy
  9. Patients with known, active fungal infection(s) since these patients would require particular, standard-of-care monitoring and treatment, which may include intravenous and/or prolonged courses of fluconazole or other therapies.
  10. Patients with hypokalemia, or advanced cardiac failure
  11. Patients with renal insufficiency

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: Double

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: IL-23 Therapy with Fluconazole
Fluconazole will be blindly administered as capsules for oral consumption. On the first day, 200 mg will be given. Subjects will then take 100 mg once daily for thirteen days.
Drug: Fluconazole
Oral fluconazole capsules.
Other Names:
  • Diflucan
Biological: IL-23 Therapy
Risankizumab (IL-23), Guselkumab (IL-23), or Ustekinumab (IL-12/23) as standard of care treatment.
Other Names:
  • Ustekinumab
  • Risankizumab
  • Guselkumab
Placebo Comparator: IL-23 Therapy with Placebo
Placebo will be blindly administered as capsules for oral consumption. On the first day, 200 mg will be given. Subjects will then take 100 mg once daily for thirteen days.
Drug: Placebo
Oral placebo capsules will be used as a comparator.
Biological: IL-23 Therapy
Risankizumab (IL-23), Guselkumab (IL-23), or Ustekinumab (IL-12/23) as standard of care treatment.
Other Names:
  • Ustekinumab
  • Risankizumab
  • Guselkumab

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
Proportion of subjects achieving clinical response
Time Frame: Week 12 post-Fluconazole Initiation
Participants with clinical response are those participants with a reduction of the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) by 100 or more points from baseline at week 12 post-Fluconazole initiation.
Week 12 post-Fluconazole Initiation

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
Proportion of subjects achieving clinical remission
Time Frame: Week 12 post-Fluconazole Initiation
Participants achieving clinical remission are those participants with a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score of no greater than 150 points at week 12 post-Fluconazole initiation.
Week 12 post-Fluconazole Initiation
Proportion of patients achieving endoscopic response or remission
Time Frame: Up to 1 Year post-Fluconazole Initiation
Participants achieving endoscopic response are those participants with a reduction in the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) of at least 50% from baseline. Participants achieving endoscopic remission are those participants with an SES-CD score less than or equal to 2
Up to 1 Year post-Fluconazole Initiation

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.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University

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.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

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: Randy Longman, MD, PhD, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

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.
October 4, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2029

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).
February 15, 2024

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.
February 15, 2024

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.
February 23, 2024

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.
August 20, 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.
August 18, 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.
August 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.
  • 23-11026746

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.

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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