Evaluating Sucrose and Cold Oral Interventions for the Treatment of Oral Pruritus During Allergy Procedures. (FROST)

November 3, 2026 updated by: Philippe Bégin

A Randomized Controlled 2×2 Factorial Study Evaluating Sucrose and Cold for the Treatment of Oral Pruritus During Allergy Procedures

This is a two-center, randomized, open-label, factorial controlled trial. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of exposure to sucrose and ice, alone and in combination, compared to control, in reducing oral pruritus during allergy procedures.

The population will include patients aged 8 years and older presenting with oral pruritus in the context of an oral food challenge or an oral immunotherapy dose increase at the allergy clinic.

Clinically significant oral pruritus will be defined as a pruritus intensity of ≥3/10 on the ICH NRS, and a symptom bothersome enough that the patient would normally seek treatment.

Eligible participants will be randomized to one of four groups (1:1:1:1 ratio):

  • Sucrose only (3.5 g granulated sugar)
  • Cold only (20 mL of ice in the form of popsicle)
  • Sucrose + cold (20 mL frozen sucrose solution)
  • Control (20 mL room-temperature water)

Participants will be asked to report when the pruritus has decreased to a level at which they would not normally seek treatment, as well as when it has completely resolved.

The evolution of oral pruritus will be assessed using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (ICH NRS). Pruritus intensity will be measured every 30 seconds during the first 5 minutes after administration of the study intervention and then every 1 minute until 15 minutes post-intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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.

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.
48

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.
  • Not Applicable

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

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

8 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 8 years and older.
  • Have a clinically diagnosed IgE-mediated food allergy, supported by a compatible clinical history and evidence of IgE sensitization (e.g., skin prick testing and/or serum food-specific IgE), as determined by the treating allergist.
  • Undergoing an oral food challenge or initiating oral immunotherapy / undergoing an oral immunotherapy dose escalation.
  • Develop oral pruritus following allergen administration with a minimum score of 3/10 on the ICH Numeric Rating Scale (ICH NRS).
  • Be able to assess and report their symptoms using the ICH NRS.
  • Provide informed consent to participate in the study (and assent, where applicable, in accordance with local regulations).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any oral condition or pathology that could interfere with the perception, assessment, or interpretation of oral pruritus symptoms.
  • Presence or development of systemic allergic symptoms for which epinephrine administration would be clinically indicated.
  • Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, as defined by the treating physician.
  • Any condition affecting oral sensation or the ability to accurately communicate symptoms using the ICH NRS.
  • Cold urticaria or significant hypersensitivity to cold.

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: Factorial 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.
Active Comparator: Sucrose only

3.5 g granulated sugar
Other: Food (sucrose)

Sucrose only (3.5 g granulated sugar)
Active Comparator: Cold only

20 mL of ice in the form of popsicle
Other: Food (popsicle)

Cold only (20 mL of ice in the form of popsicle)
Active Comparator: Sucrose and cold

20 mL frozen sucrose solution
Other: Food(Sucrose and cold)

Sucrose + cold (20 mL frozen sucrose solution)
Placebo Comparator: Water

20 mL room-temperature water
Other: Water (Placebo)

20 mL room-temperature water

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
Area under the curve (AUC) of ICH NRS scores
Time Frame: From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.

Pruritus intensity will be assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 (no itch) to 10 (worst imaginable itch). Higher scores indicate greater pruritus intensity and therefore a worse outcome.
From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.

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
Time to reduction of at least 2 points from the baseline ICH NRS score.
Time Frame: From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.

A reduction of at least 2 points on the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (0-10) indicates an improvement in pruritus intensity.
From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.
Time to complete resolution of oral pruritus (ICH NRS score of 0).
Time Frame: From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.

Complete resolution of oral pruritus is defined as an Intra-episode Clinical Numerical Rating Scale (ICH NRS) score of 0, corresponding to no itching. The scale ranges from 0 (no itch) to 10 (worst imaginable itch), with higher scores indicating greater pruritus severity and therefore a worse outcome.
From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.
Time to a decrease in oral pruritus intensity to a level at which the participant would normally not seek treatment.
Time Frame: From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.

Time from intervention administration to the first assessment at which oral pruritus intensity decreases to a level that the participant reports would not normally prompt them to seek treatment. Pruritus intensity is assessed using the Intra-episode Clinical Numerical Rating Scale (ICH NRS), ranging from 0 (no itch) to 10 (worst imaginable itch), with higher scores indicating greater pruritus intensity and a worse outcome.
From baseline (pre-intervention) through 15 minutes post-intervention.

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.
Philippe Bégin

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.
Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)
Sainte Justine Hospital Research Institute

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 (Estimated)

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.
November 1, 2026

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.
June 1, 2027

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.
August 1, 2027

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).
October 27, 2026

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.
November 3, 2026

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.
November 4, 2026

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.
November 4, 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.
November 3, 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.
November 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.
  • MP-21-2027-10364

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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