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A multicentre, randomised, double-blind, positive-control clinical trial evaluating dihydroartemisinin tablets for the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus

A multicentre, randomised, double-blind, positive-control clinical trial evaluating dihydroartemisinin tablets for the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ChiCTR
Registry ID
ChiCTR2600124305
Enrollment
Unknown
Registered
2026-05-10
Start date
2026-05-10
Completion date
Unknown
Last updated
2026-05-11

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Discoid lupus erythematosus

Interventions

Trial Group 1 (Dihydroartemisinin 40mg Group):Dihydroartemisinin 40mg, twice daily, oral
Trial Group 2 (Dihydroartemisinin 60mg Group):Dihydroartemisinin 60mg, twice daily, oral
Control Group (Hydroxychloroquine Group):Hydroxychloroquine 200mg, once daily, oral

Sponsors

China-Japan Friendship Hospital
Lead Sponsor

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Participants are able to understand the purpose and risks of the study and voluntarily sign an informed consent form; 2. Aged between 18 and 65 years (inclusive); 3. Body weight >= 45 kg; 4. Diagnosed with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) at the screening visit (refer to the ‘2021 Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Treatment and Long-term Management of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus’); new patients must undergo a skin biopsy and provide a pathology report, whilst existing patients must provide a biopsy pathology report dated within the last 5 years; 5. At the time of screening, the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Area and Severity Index (CLASI-A) must be >=4.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or those at high risk of developing SLE; 2. Drug-induced lupus; 3. Patients with a history of resistance to antimalarial treatment; 4. At screening, aspartate transaminase (AST) or alanine transaminase (ALT) or gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels exceeding twice the upper limit of normal (ULN); or alkaline phosphatase (ALP) or total bilirubin levels exceeding 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN); or serum creatinine (Cr) or urea (UREA) levels exceeding 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN); 5. Patients diagnosed with anaemia within 3 months prior to randomisation, or patients with haemoglobin levels below 110 g/L at screening; 6. Patients who have used any antimalarial drug (hydroxychloroquine sulphate, chloroquine phosphate or chloroquine) within 4 weeks prior to randomisation; 7. Patients who have used topical corticosteroids (e.g. mometasone furoate cream or others) or topical calcineurin inhibitors (e.g. tacrolimus ointment or others) within 2 weeks prior to randomisation; 8. Patients treated with biologics (e.g. adalimumab, secukinumab or others) within 12 weeks prior to randomisation; 9. Patients treated with immunomodulators (e.g. thalidomide, lenalidomide or others) within 4 weeks prior to randomisation; 10. Patients who have received live vaccines (e.g. measles vaccine, varicella vaccine or others) within 4 weeks prior to randomisation; 11. Patients who have used traditional Chinese medicinal preparations with lupus-modulating effects within 4 weeks prior to randomisation, such as Tripterygium preparations (e.g. Tripterygium glycosides), Paeonia lactiflora total glycosides capsules, Zhengqing Fengtongning, or Euphorbia root tablets; 12. History of malignant tumours within the 5 years prior to screening; 13. History of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or severe arrhythmias (multifocal frequent premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation) within the 6 months prior to screening, or New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III–IV; 14. Conditions not effectively controlled at the time of screening or markedly unstable diseases (such as acute pneumonia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, diabetic ketoacidosis, acute pancreatitis, etc.), which, in the investigator’s judgement, may confound the study results or expose the participant to undue risk; 15. Patients with a history of major organ transplantation (e.g., heart, lung, kidney, liver) or haematopoietic stem cell and/or bone marrow transplantation within the 5 years prior to screening; 16. A history of chronic, recurrent (three or more episodes of the same type of infection within 52 weeks) or recent severe infections (e.g. pneumonia, sepsis), including viral infections (particularly varicella and herpes zoster), or requiring anti-infective treatment during the screening period; 17. Patients who have undergone any major surgery within 6 weeks prior to randomisation, such as abdominal, thoracic or joint replacement surgery, or who are scheduled to undergo major surgery during the study (including follow-up); 18. Patients for whom the investigator, based on an ophthalmological examination prior to randomisation, considers the findings to be clinically significant and unsuitable for participation in this clinical trial, or who have diseases associated with retinal pathology; 19. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women of childbearing potential who do not agree to use

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Percentage change from baseline in cutaneous lupus erythematosus area and severity index activity (CLASI-A) score at week 24;

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Percentage change from baseline in cutaneous lupus erythematosus area and severity index activity (CLASI-A) score at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20;Percentage of participants with =50% reduction from baseline in CLASI-A score (CLASI-50);Percentage of participants with =20% reduction from baseline in CLASI-A score;Percentage of participants with a 4-point or greater reduction from baseline in CLASI-A activity score;Percentage of participants achieving complete response (CR) in CLASI-A (defined as score of '0');Proportion of participants with a 2-point or greater improvement in DLQI score from baseline using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI);Mean change from baseline in DLQI score using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI);Mean change from baseline in physician global assessment (PGA) score after treatment;

Countries

China

Contacts

Public ContactCui Yong

China-Japan Friendship Hospital

wuhucuiyong@vip.163.com+86 10 84206250

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ChiCTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: May 16, 2026