A Phase II Study of Imiquimod 5 % Cream for the Treatment of Hemangioma in Infancy
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2006-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Hemangiomas of infancy, the most common benign tumors of infancy, are congenital or early
infancy lesions characterized by a rapid postnatal growth, with high expression of angiogenic
stimulators for 9-18 months, followed by slow regression for 5-9 years. Current therapies for
the hemangiomas are usually restricted to more severe forms due to the risks of adverse
effects, inconvenience and cost. Nevertheless, a substantial amount of the psychological
discomfort and morbidity can be caused by untreated hemangiomas, especially those in the
face.
Recently, Imiquimod 5% cream has emerged as a safe an effective drug for several skin
conditions that benefit from modulation of the activity of the immune system, such as common
warts and various forms of the skin pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions. Small case reports
series have suggest that it could also be useful in hemangiomas, possibly through the
inhibition of the angiogenesis by local IFN production.This is a small, open label study of
16 patients to document the efficacy of the Imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of hemangioma
of infancy (primary outcome). IFN and plasma drug levels, as well as clinical examinations
and blood studies, will be carried out to evaluate safety of the treatment (secondary
outcome). bFGF and VEGF will be measured in blood and urine in order to study the diagnostic
and predictive value of these pro-angiogenic factors in the response of hemangiomas to the
treatment with Imiquimod (secondary outcome).
The study is a phase II clinical trial of a once a day application of Imiquimod 5% cream, 3
to 7 times per week for a maximum of four months. The study held at the Dermatology Clinic of
Sainte-Justine Hospital, and was completed within a 20 months timeframe after IRB approval.