Topical Ruxolitinib in Chronic Hand Dermatitis

Topical Ruxolitinib (Jak1/Jak2 Inhibitor) in Chronic Hand Dermatitis Attenuates Inflammation and Enhances Skin Barrier Repair

This is an investigator-initiated, proof of concept, open study to assess efficacy of a topical Ruxolitinib in subjects with Chronic Hand Dermatitis (CHD). The study will be conducted at the University of Rochester Medical center, Dermatology Department - Rochester, NY. Qualified and enrolled subjects (see Inclusion/Exclusion criteria) will be required to come to URMC Dermatology Clinic for at least five visits.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Hand Dermatitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Ruxolitinib

Detailed Description

This is a single-center study anticipating to enroll 15 participants with chronic hand dermatitis. Eligible participants will receive Ruxolitinib to apply twice daily for 12 weeks. Participants will be required to be seen every 4 weeks until week 16.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Rochester, New York, United States, 14642
      • UR Medicine Dermatology College Town

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of chronic hand eczema defined as hand eczema, which has persisted for more than 3 months or returned twice or more within the last 12 months.
• Disease severity graded as moderate to severe according to IGA (i.e., IGA ≥2).
• Recent history (within 1 year before the screening visit) of inadequate response to topical corticosteroid and/or calcineurin inhibitors treatment or topical corticosteroid treatment being medically inadvisable.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active atopic dermatitis in regions other than the hands requiring medical treatment.
• Active psoriasis in regions other than the hands requiring medical treatment.
• Clinically significant infection (e.g., impetiginized hand eczema or tinea manum) on the hands.
• Patients with excessive contact of hands with water (longer than 2 hours at day; or > 20 hands washing at day) that is believed to be a predominant cause of the hand dermatitis.
• Subjects with known antigen sensitization based on Patch test (with 3 years) that are unable to reduce contact with the specific antigen(s).
• Subjects chronically and consistently exposed to known-irritant or other substance known to impact skin barrier will be excluded based on PI judgement
• Systemic treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, immunomodulating drugs, retinoids, or corticosteroids within 4 weeks prior to baseline.
• Systemic treatment with antibiotics within 4 weeks prior to baseline
• Phototherapy on the hands within 4 weeks prior to baseline.
• Use of topical immunomodulators (e.g., phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) inhibitors, pimecrolimus, tacrolimus) or topical corticosteroids on the hands within 2 weeks prior to baseline.
• Use of topical antibiotics on the hands within 2 weeks prior to baseline.
• Change in systemic antihistamine therapy within 2 weeks prior to baseline i.e., subjects must not start antihistamine treatment or change the current dosage regime within 2 weeks prior to baseline.
• Other topicals applied therapy on the hands (except for the use of subject's own emollients) within 1 week prior to baseline.
• Receipt of any marketed or investigational biologic agents within 6 months or 5 half-lives prior to baseline
• Any disorder which is not stable and in the investigator's opinion could affect the safety of the subject, influence the findings of the trial, or impede the subject's ability to complete the trial.
• Participants with clinically significant cytopenia at screening
• Participants with severely impaired liver or kidney function and unstable.
• Participants who have previously received JAK inhibitor therapy, systemic or topical.
• History of any known primary immunodeficiency disorder including a positive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or the subject taking antiretroviral medications.
• Females who are breastfeeding, pregnant, or anticipate becoming pregnant during the study time frame
• History of skin cancer on hands within 5 years.
• History of recalcitrant warts on hands within 1 year

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: All Participants; You are being asked to apply topical medication called Ruxolitinib cream to your skin at home twice daily.	Drug: Ruxolitinib; 1.5% Ruxolitinib cream

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of Patients With Chronic Hand Dermatitis Improvement as Assessed by Investigators Global Assessment	Proportion of patients achieving an Investigators Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1 with at least a 2-step improvement (IGA treatment success). The Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) will provide information of the overall disease. It is a 5-point scale: clear-1, almost clear-2, mild-3, moderate-4, and severe-5.	week 12
Percent Change in Mean Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI)	Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) , a well-accepted and validated scoring system for disease activity. It incorporates both the extent and the intensity of the disease. Each hand is divided into five areas: fingertips, fingers (except the tips), palms, back of hands and wrists. Each area will be scored for extension and intensity of the six following clinical signs: erythema, induration /papulation, vesicles, fissuring, scaling, and edema; which are graded on the following scale: 0, no skin changes; 1, mild disease; 2, moderate and 3, severe. Data will be reported as a percent change in the HECSI score from baseline to week 12. The score ranges from 0-360.	baseline to week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Rochester
• Collaborators: Incyte Corporation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 11, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 21, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 7, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 22, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): March 24, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Skin Diseases; Dermatitis
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00006638

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