Comparison of Topical Permethrin 5% and Spinosad 0.9% for Scabies Treatment

November 7, 2026 updated by: University of Faisalabad

Comparison of the Efficacy of Topical Permethrin 5% and Spinosad 0.9% in the Treatment of Scabies: A Randomised Controlled Trial

The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness of topical Permethrin 5% cream and Spinosad 0.9% suspension in treating scabies in patients aged 5-60 years.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Is there a difference in the effectiveness of topical Permethrin 5% and Spinosad 0.9% in treating scabies at Day 14?
  • What are the treatment-related adverse effects of these two medications?

Researchers will compare the two treatment groups to determine whether there is a significant difference in treatment efficacy.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

  • Group A will receive topical Permethrin 5% cream, applied from the neck to the toes for 8-12 hours, followed by washing. A second application will be given after 7 days.
  • Group B will receive topical Spinosad 0.9% suspension, applied similarly, with repeat application only if clinically indicated.

Participants will be instructed regarding correct treatment application, hygiene measures, and treatment of close contacts. They will be assessed at baseline, Day 7, and Day 14.

The main outcome will be treatment efficacy at Day 14, defined as complete resolution of itching, healing of skin lesions, and absence of new lesions.

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.

Detailed Description

Scabies is a common parasitic skin infestation characterized by nocturnal itching and characteristic skin lesions. It can affect the quality of life of patients and may lead to secondary complications.

Topical Permethrin 5% is a standard treatment for scabies. Spinosad 0.9% is a topical ectoparasiticidal agent with a different mechanism of action. This study is designed to compare the efficacy of these two topical treatments in patients with clinically diagnosed scabies.

This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial in the Department of Dermatology. A total of 180 patients of either gender, aged 5-60 years, will be enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling after fulfilling the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and providing informed written consent.

Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups using a computer-generated randomization method.

Group A will receive topical Permethrin 5% cream applied from neck to toe for 8-12 hours, followed by washing. A second application will be given after seven days.

Group B will receive topical Spinosad 0.9% suspension applied similarly, with repeat application only if clinically indicated.

Participants will be instructed regarding correct application technique, hygiene measures, and treatment of close contacts. Follow-up assessments will be conducted on Day 7 and Day 14.

Treatment efficacy will be assessed at Day 14 based on complete resolution of pruritus, healing of skin lesions, and absence of new lesions. Clinical response, visual analogue scale for pruritus, number of active lesions, new lesions, and treatment-related adverse effects will also be assessed.

Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 25. The Chi-square test will be used to compare treatment efficacy between the two groups. A p-value of 0.05 or less will be considered statistically significant.

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.
180

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Faisalābad, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 38000
        • Madina Teaching Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Sabeen Riaz, MBBS
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Areeba Basharat, MBBS

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

5 years to 60 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients of either gender.
  2. Patients aged 5-60 years.
  3. Patients presenting with clinically diagnosed scabies, characterized by nocturnal pruritus and characteristic skin lesions such as burrows, papules, or nodules.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients with secondary bacterial infection requiring systemic antibiotics.
  2. Patients who have received anti-scabies treatment within the last four weeks.
  3. Patients with known hypersensitivity to permethrin or spinosad.
  4. Pregnant or lactating women.
  5. Patients with chronic dermatological conditions that may interfere with assessment.

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: 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: Group A - Permethrin 5%

Patients randomized to Group A will receive topical Permethrin 5% cream applied from neck to toe for 8-12 hours, followed by washing. A second application will be given after 7 days.
Drug: Permethrin 5%

Patients will receive topical Permethrin 5% cream applied from neck to toe for 8-12 hours followed by washing. A second application will be given after 7 days.
Experimental: Group B - Spinosad 0.9%

Patients randomized to Group B will receive topical Spinosad 0.9% suspension applied similarly. Repeat application will be performed only if clinically indicated.
Drug: spinosad topical suspension, 0.9%

Patients will receive topical Spinosad 0.9% suspension. Repeat application will be performed only if clinically indicated.

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 participants achieving treatment efficacy at day 14
Time Frame: Day 14 after treatment initiation

Treatment efficacy will be defined as complete resolution of pruritus, healing of skin lesions, and absence of new lesions at day 14 after treatment initiation, as determined by clinical examination and patient-reported symptoms. The proportion of participants achieving treatment efficacy will be compared between the permethrin 5% and spinosad 0.9% groups.
Day 14 after treatment 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.
University of Faisalabad

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: Tanzeela Khalid, MBBS, FCPS Dermatology, The University of Faisalabad

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.
February 1, 2027

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.
July 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.
July 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).
November 7, 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 7, 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 13, 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 13, 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 7, 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

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.
  • UMDC/IRB/34/26

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

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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