Clinical trial Recruiting at 3 sites Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Nemolizumab for adults with systemic sclerosis

Official title: A 52-week, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Dose-ranging Study of Nemolizumab in Adult Patients With Systemic Sclerosis

Run by Galderma R&D · NCT07047690 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This trial will test whether nemolizumab can reduce skin thickness in adults with systemic sclerosis over a 52-week treatment period.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment162 (estimated)
SponsorGalderma R&D
Industry-sponsored
Drugs / interventionsnemolizumab, Chimeric Antigen Receptor, Methotrexate
Locations3 sites (Ann Arbor, Michigan and 2 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedFebruary 20, 2026
Main results expectedMay 28, 2028
Study endsJuly 23, 2028
Registry record updatedMarch 31, 2026
Trial IDNCT07047690 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults (18+) who meet ACR/EULAR criteria for systemic sclerosis with the protocol-specified mRSS ranges and disease duration limits, who are not excluded by antibody status for limited disease and who are on stable background therapies, are ideal candidates.

Probably not a fit

Patients with very low or very high mRSS outside the inclusion ranges, disease duration longer than the protocol limits, or excluded antibody profiles (for limited disease) are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit from this trial.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a phase 2, randomized interventional trial comparing one or more doses of nemolizumab to placebo in adults with diffuse or certain forms of limited systemic sclerosis. The main outcome is change in skin thickness measured by the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) over 52 weeks, with safety monitored throughout. Participants must meet ACR/EULAR SSc criteria and fall within specified mRSS and disease-duration ranges, and may remain on certain stable background therapies. The goal is to identify an optimal dose for this target population and characterize tolerability.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, nemolizumab could reduce skin thickening and potentially improve function and quality of life in people with systemic sclerosis.

How similar studies have gone: Nemolizumab has shown benefit for pruritus in atopic dermatitis, but using it to reduce skin thickness in systemic sclerosis is a novel application with no established proof of concept in SSc to date.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participant must be 18 years of age or older, at the time of signing the Informed Consent Form.
2. Classification of systemic sclerosis (SSc) as defined by the 2013 American College of Rheumatology \[ACR\]/European League Against Rheumatism \[EULAR\] criteria.
3. Modified Rodnan Skin Score.

   1. Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (DcSSc) participants and modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) of greater than equal to (\>=)12 and less than (\<)30 at both screening and baseline
   2. Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (LcSSc) participants with mRSS \>=8 at both screening and baseline. LcSSc participants with positive anti-centromere at screening are excluded.
4. Disease duration in DcSSc participants \<= 5 years from screening and LcSSc participants \<=2 years from screening is defined as the time from the first non-Raynaud's phenomenon manifestation of SSc.
5. Participants are permitted to receive the following background therapies stable for at least 3 months prior to baseline, including any combination of the following:

   1. Nintedanib (\<150mg twice daily) and/or
   2. One of the following:

      1. Methotrexate (MTX) (\<25mg weekly) or
      2. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), mycophenolate sodium (MPS), or mycophenolic acid (MPA) (\<3000mg daily MMF, \<2160mg daily for MPS or MPA) NOTE: MTX should not be used in combination with MMF/MPS/MPA
6. Participants with evidence for active or progressive disease.
7. Men (whose female partner can become pregnant) and women of childbearing potential will be required to use effective means of contraception or commit to true abstinence, when this is in line with preferred and usual lifestyle of the participant, during the study and for at least 12 weeks after receiving the last study treatment.
8. Female participants of non-childbearing potential
9. Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Anti-centromere antibody positive at screening for participants with LcSSc.
2. Anti-RNA polymerase 3 antibody positive for participants with a disease duration \>18months.
3. Creatinine clearance \<30 milli liter per minute \[ml/min\] (calculated by Cockcroft-Gault formula).
4. Positive serology results (hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\] or hepatitis B core antibody \[HbcAb\], hepatitis C \[HCV\] antibody with positive confirmatory test for hepatitis C virus \[HCV\] antibody with positive HCV RNA, or human immunodeficiency virus \[HIV\] antibody).
5. FVC \<50% of predicted normal value, and DLCO \<40% of predicted normal value (corrected for Hb) at screening and baseline.
6. Known diagnosis of clinically significant respiratory disorders other than ILD, including severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe asthma, recent (within 3 months) severe respiratory infections or history of recurrent respiratory infections, smoking, and any other respiratory condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, could interfere with the study or pose a risk to the participant.
7. Currently listed and/or anticipated to be listed for lung transplantation within the next 12 months.
8. Cardiovascular disease with clinically significant arrhythmia requiring therapy, congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association Class III-IV functional capacity), unstable angina, uncontrolled hypertension, Cor pulmonale, or symptomatic pericardial effusion.
9. History of myocardial infarction in the last 6 months prior to screening.
10. Pulmonary hypertension WHO Functional Class III or higher (as defined by WHO 2009) requiring treatment.
11. Clinical signs of severe malabsorption in the opinion of the investigator or needing parenteral nutrition.
12. History of scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) 6 months prior to screening.
13. Participants with underlying chronic liver disease (Child Pugh A, B, C hepatic impairment).
14. Body weight of \<30.0 kilogram (Kg) at screening or BL
15. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women planning to become pregnant or breastfeed, or unwilling to use appropriate contraception measures during the study period
16. Previous treatment with nemolizumab
17. Participants with the primary diagnosis of a rheumatic autoimmune disease other than SSc, including but not limited to rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, systemic vasculitis, Sjogren's syndrome, anti-synthetase syndrome, or mixed CTD, as determined by the investigator with consultation of the medical monitors
18. Systemic sclerosis-like illness including but not limited to localized scleroderma (morphea), eosinophilic fasciitis, sclerodermoid graft-versus-host disease, fibro mucinous conditions (scleredema, scleromyxedema), scleroderma-like conditions that are associated with environmental chemical and drug exposure (e.g., toxic rapeseed oil, vinyl chloride, bleomycin, gadolinium-based contrast agents \[nephrogenic systemic fibrosis\], or due to metabolic disease)
19. History of hypersensitivity (including anaphylaxis) to an immunoglobulin product (plasma-derived or recombinant, e.g., monoclonal antibody) or to any of the study treatment excipient
20. Known active bacterial, viral, fungal, or any major episode of infection requiring hospitalization or treatment with IV antibiotics or antivirals within 4 weeks prior to screening, or oral antibiotics within 2 weeks prior to screening. Participants may be rescreened once the infection has resolved.
21. History of a primary immunodeficiency
22. History of Bone Morrow Transplantation. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cell Therapy or any other genetically engineering cells
23. History of lymphoproliferative disease or history of malignancy of any organ system within the last 5 years, except for (1) basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease), or carcinomas in situ of the cervix that have been treated and have no evidence of recurrence in the last 12 weeks before the BL visit, or (2) actinic keratoses that have been treated
24. History of alcohol or substance abuse dependence or any condition that, in the investigator's opinion makes the participant unreliable to following instructions and complete the study
25. In the opinion of the investigator, the participant has any medical condition, including clinically significant pulmonary abnormalities, or psychological condition,or clinically significant laboratory abnormalities that could pose undue risk to the participant, prevent study completion or adversely affect the validity or interpretability of the study measurements or interfere with the study assessments, or impede the participant's ability to complete the study.
26. Participant has not adhered to the restrictions in select treatments prior to screening or is not expected to be compliant with restrictions during the study

Where it's running

  • Galderma Investigational Site # 8743
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
    Recruiting
  • Galderma Investigational Site#7096
    Arlington, Texas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Galderma Investigational Site # 6213
    Sankt Gallen, Switzerland
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.