A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled Phase 1B Study of the Safety, Short-Term Engraftment and Action of NB01 in Adults With Moderate Acne
Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease caused by overgrowth of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), impaction of hair follicles, excessive sebum production and hormonal dysregulation. Recent literature from the Human Microbiome Project has shown there are unique microbial signatures specific to healthy and acne disease states.
From this data, the investigators hypothesize that by eliminating resident disease-associated bacterial strains and replacing them with health-associated strains, recurrences/fares of acne may be improved, mitigated, and prevented. Instead of current approaches which focus on eliminating all bacteria from the skin, the investigators aim to deliver healthy bacteria (NB01) to restore the skin to a healthy state via this replacement therapy.
The investigators aim to test this in a Phase 1B multiple application study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and clinical impact that a multiple, daily, applications of NB01 has on adult subjects with moderate acne. Investigators will be profiling the change in microbiome over the course of therapy to determine if exogenously delivered bacteria can populate the skin (engraftment) and cause a shift in the microbiome safely and subsequently impact acne biomarkers that may correlate with clinical disease.
The investigators intend for this therapy to eventually be used in acne subjects with ages ranging from 13-40, and all disease severities as either monotherapy for mild to mild/moderate acne and as an adjuvant therapy for moderate to severe acne at all body sites, with special attention to facial involvement.
This approach is standard to acne therapy whereby mild disease will be treated with a monotherapy (i.e., topical Benzoyl peroxide \[BPO\]) and moderate/severe disease will be treated with various combinatory regimens (topical antibiotics, BPO, topical retinoids, oral antibiotics).
Primary Objectives:
1\. To determine the safety and tolerability of a multiple application of topical P. acnes microbiome transplant ("NB01").
Exploratory Objectives:
1. To define engraftment duration of NB01.
2. To evaluate preliminary clinical efficacy using Acne Lesion Counts (total, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory), Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), and subjective improvement of acne based on subject reported outcomes (Acne QoL Questionnaire).
3. To evaluate treatment effects, based on sebum production in a subpopulation from sites 02 and 03.
Approximately 36 total male and female adult subjects combined with moderate, non-cyclical acne will be enrolled into the trial. Approximately twenty four (24) subjects will be randomly assigned treatment and twelve (12) subjects will be randomly assigned to vehicle control.
This is a multiple topical application study of live bacteria for the study of acne in adult subjects. Following a 5-7 day pretreatment of gold standard benzoyl peroxide therapy to kill resident facial bacterial, 11 weeks of daily topical application of NB01 will be evaluated.
Subject participation in the trial will approximately 12 weeks.
