Study To Evaluate The Efficacy Of Tofacitinib In Patients With SJS/TEN

An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Patients With Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of tofacitinib in patients with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). The primary outcome of the study is the time to complete re-epithelialization. The secondary outcomes are to determine mortality, length of hospitalization, adverse events, the time to beginning of epithelization, the time to halting of progression of SJS/TEN, ocular complications, and infections.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Tofacitinib

Detailed Description

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) belong to life-threatening severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions. SJS/TEN is classified by the extent of the detachment over the total body-surface area: SJS (<10%), SJS-TEN overlap (10%-30%), and TEN (>30%). TEN has the highest mortality (30-35%); SJS and transitional forms correspond to the same syndrome, but with less extensive skin detachment and a lower mortality (5-15%). Currently, there is still no conclusive effective immunomodulator treatment for SJS/TEN. And, there is still a clinical unmet need for the treatment of SJS/TEN.

According to our past research reports, interleukin-15 (IL-15) plays an important role in SJS/TEN, which is related to disease severity and mortality. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors can inhibit the downstream JAK to inhibit the production and transmission of inflammatory cytokines, as a treatment for severe skin drug hypersensitivity reactions. Tofacitinib, a JAK1/3 inhibitor, is an intervention known to effectively treat several inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Notably, a recent study identified a potential therapeutic target with JAK-STAT pathway in a patient with recalcitrant and refractory drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Based the current evidence, a targeting therapy to IL-15 by tofacitinib treatment are suggesting likely to be effective in treating SJS/TEN.

This is an "open label" study, all patients enrolled in the study will receive the active medication; meaning that there will not be a placebo or control group. The aims of this project are (1) to investigate the effect of tofacitinib treatment for SJS/TEN patients, including healing time, mortality rate, adverse events, beginning of re-epithelialization time, internal organ recovery time, and ocular complications, and (2) to investigate the molecular mechanism of SJS/TEN after tofacitinib treatment through collection of timed samples to include DNA, RNA, PBMCs, blister cells and supernatant and skin tissue.

The primary outcome of the study is the time to complete re-epithelialization as defined by complete absence of erosion on the skin. The secondary outcomes are to determine the time to beginning of epithelization (defined as the time to start re-epithelialization of the erosions on the skin and mucosa), the time to halting of progression of SJS/TEN (considered significant progression if there are any new blistering lesions or any new detached or detachable skin), mortality, length of hospitalization, ocular complications, infections, and adverse events. The investigators also determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms of SJS/TEN through collection of timed samples to include DNA, RNA, PBMCs, blister cells and supernatant and skin tissue.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taoyuan District, Taiwan, 333
    • Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Willing to sign inform consent form
2. Subject has been diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis by at least two dermatologists.
3. Male or female aged over 20 years old and under 90 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subject or legally authorized representative is not willing to provide informed consent.
2. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
3. Subject has an active, untreated, or serious infectious disease that is ineffective in treatment, such as sepsis.
4. Subject suffers from severe life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia, such as ventricular tachycardia, have had myocardial infarction (myocardial infarction), severe hypertension that has not responded to treatment within the past week, or other cardiologist diagnosed severe cardiovascular disease
5. Subject has active viral hepatitis
6. Subject has active tuberculosis
7. Subject received live vaccination during the illness

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: Tofacitinib treatment; Meet the conditions of inclusion and exclusion, seek the consent of the patient; Fill out the case report form; Blood test and physiological assessment, and do serum granulysin concentration and peripheral blood mononuclear spherical granulysin expression analysis; Tofacitinib administration: The experimental group received tofacitinib 5mg-10mg, twice daily, for the first week; and maintained tofacitinib 5mg-10mg, daily, for the second week.

Drug: Tofacitinib; Dosage/Frequency: 5mg - 10mg, oral, twice daily; Other Names: XELJANZ

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Complete Skin Healing Time, Day, Medium [Full Range]	Healing was defined as complete re-epithelialization (i.e., the complete absence of erosions). We recorded the time taken by the skin to heal.	days
Complete Skin Healing Time, Day, Mean [Full Range]	Healing was defined as complete re-epithelialization (i.e., the complete absence of erosions). We recorded the time taken by the skin to heal.	days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Length of Hospitalization	Length of hospitalization and Duration of hospitalization days	Duration of hospital stay up to 3 months
Mortality	Number of participants with mortality at 30 days, 3 months and 1 year. Mortality monitoring is considered for the underlying SJS/TEN disease.	up to 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Chun Bing Chen, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 20, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): June 20, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 19, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 19, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 25, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 16, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 28, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Tofacitinib; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis; JAK/STAT Pathway; JAK1/3 inhibitor
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Hypersensitivity; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Skin Diseases; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous; Hypersensitivity, Delayed; Dermatitis; Erythema; Drug Eruptions; Drug Hypersensitivity; Stomatitis; Erythema Multiforme; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Janus Kinase Inhibitors; tofacitinib
• Other Study ID Numbers: 202102411A3

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No