Hand Eczema
Conditions
Keywords
Alitretinoin, Azathioprine, Hand eczema
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of alitretinoin and azathioprine in the treatment of patients with severe chronic non-hyperkeratotic hand eczema.
Interventions
DRUGAlitretinoin
Oral alitretinoin capsule of 30mg once daily for a total of 24 weeks.
DRUGAzathioprine
Oral azathioprine tablets twice daily in a dose of 1.5 or 2.5mg/kg/day, depending on the thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) activity.
Sponsors
University Medical Center Groningen
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age ≥ 18 years and ≤ 75 years * Severe or very severe chronic non-hyperkeratotic hand eczema for a minimum duration of 3 months as defined by a Physician Global Assessment (PGA) using a validated Photoguide * Refractory to standard therapy, defined as: Patients received treatment with topical corticosteroids of class II or higher for at least 8 weeks within 3 months before enrolment, with either no response or a transient response. Patients had also received standard skin care, including emollients and barrier protection as appropriate, without significant improvement. Patients had avoided irritants and allergens, if identified, without significant improvement. * Women of childbearing potential are required to use at least two forms of contraception for at least 1 month before starting treatment, during treatment, and for at least 1 month after finishing treatment; these women are required to take monthly pregnancy tests * Able to provide written Informed Consent * Able to speak and read the Dutch language
Exclusion criteria
General criteria prior to randomization * Treatment with alitretinoin or azathioprine in the previous 3 months * Hyperkeratotic palmar eczema as defined by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group * Patients with predominantly atopic dermatitis, in which the hands are also involved. Patients with mild atopic dermatitis, in which the hands are mainly affected are eligible for inclusion. * Psoriasis * Active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection of the hands * Pregnant/lactating or planning to become pregnant during the study period * Treatment with systemic medication or UV radiation within the previous 4 weeks * Mentally incompetent * Immunocompromised status * Known or suspected allergy to ingredients in the study medications * Inclusion in a study of an investigational drug within 60 days prior to start of treatment * Current malignancy (other than successfully treated non-metastatic cutaneous squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma and⁄or localized carcinoma in situ of the cervix) * Current active pancreatitis * Living vaccine (including bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), varicella, measles, mumps, rubella, yellow fever, oral polio and oral typhoid) in the last 2 weeks or the planned application of such a vaccine during the study period * Evidence of alcohol abuse or drug addiction * Chronic or recurrent infectious diseases * Contact sensitizations with clinical relevance to the hands, in which exposure to allergens is not avoided * Hypervitaminosis A due to the use of vitamin A supplements containing \>2000 IU * Use of drugs with potential to change the effective dosis of study drugs within the previous 2 weeks Laboratory
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Response to treatment/hand eczema severity (Photoguide) | 24 weeks (end of treatment) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Response to treatment/hand eczema severity (Hand Eczema Severity Index, HECSI) | Week 4, 8, 12, 24 |
| Time to response | Week 4, 8, 12, 24 |
| Patient reported improvement (Patient Global Assessment, PaGA) | Week 12 and 24 |
| Response to treatment/hand eczema severity (Photoguide) | 12 weeks |
| Cost-utility. QALY's: registered direct/indirect costs, combined with EQ-5D outcome | Week 12 and 24 |
| Cost-effectiveness: registered direct/indirect costs combined with the primary and secondary effectiveness outcomes (Photoguide/HECSI) | Week 12 and 24 |
| Quality of Life: questionnaire. | Week 12 and 24 |
| Safety and tolerability (adverse events) | Up to 24 weeks |
Countries
Netherlands
Contacts
Primary ContactMLA Schuttelaar, MD, PhD
Backup ContactJAF Oosterhaven, MD
Outcome results
None listed