Efficacy and Safety of a Botanical Total Coumarin (TC) Cream in Treating Patients With Psoriasis Vulgaris (PLANTCOAT-III)

A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-controlled, Multi-center Phase III Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of a Botanical Total Coumarin Cream (TC Cream) in Treating Patients With Psoriasis Vulgaris

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a botanical Total Coumarin topical cream (TC Cream) works to treat psoriasis in adults. It will also learn about the safety of the topical TC Cream. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does TC Cream improve the psoriasis disease symptoms?
• What medical problems do participants have when applying TC Cream?
• Does TC Cream improve the quality of life of psoriasis patients? Researchers will compare TC Cream to a placebo cream (a look-alike cream that contains no active drug) to see if TC Cream works to treat psoriasis.

Participants will:

• Topically apply the TC Cream or a placebo cream twice daily every day to affected skin for 8 weeks
• Visit the clinic once every 2 weeks for checkups and tests
• Keep a diary of their symptoms and their diseased skin conditions during the application of the topical cream

Participants are put into one of two groups: 1. TC Cream group: receives the cream with the active botanical ingredient; 2. Placebo group: receives a look-alike cream with no active ingredient. Participants will apply the assigned cream twice daily (morning and evening) to psoriasis-affected areas for 8 weeks and will come to the clinic every 2 weeks for checkups and study tests. Doctors will check your skin, measure psoriasis severity, and ask about symptoms and any side effects. The study aims to decide whether TC Cream is a safe, effective topical option for psoriasis and whether it can also help people feel better in daily life.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age of 18-70 years old. Both men and women, and members of all races and ethnic groups
• Consistent with the diagnostic criteria of stable phase psoriasis vulgaris, and have at least two target lesions suitable for evaluation
• Women of childbearing age must be using birth control strategies defined by one of the following: 1) a barrier method (condom) and/or 2) oral contraceptives, during the 8-week study period.
• ISGA score ≥ 2 (at least mild severity)
• BSA (stable stage group): 1%≤ to ≤20%
• Signed a written informed consent document
• No additional exposure to the sun

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects in pregnancy, preparing for pregnancy, or breastfeeding

• History of hyperergic or photosensitivity

• History of complicated cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, severe primary diseases of the hepatic, kidney, and hematopoietic system, or patients with psychiatric disorders

• History of photosensitive diseases such as porphyria, chronic actinic dermatitis, Xeroderma pigmentosa

• Within 4 weeks prior to randomization, patients have taken treatment with the following approved or investigational psoriasis therapies on the target lesions:

  • Topical treatments
  • PUVA, UVB, or Grenz ray therapy.
  • Any systemic treatments other than biologicals with a possible effect on psoriasis (e.g., corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, hydroxycarbamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclosporine, other immunosuppressants).
  • Any types of other investigational therapies for psoriasis

• Within 3 months prior to randomizations, patients have taken systemic treatments with retinoids or biological therapies (marketed or otherwise) with a possible effect on psoriasis (e.g., alefacept, efalizumab, etanercept, infliximab).

• Planned initiation of, or changes to, concomitant medications that could affect psoriasis (e.g., beta blockers, anti-malaria drugs, lithium) during the double-blind phase of the study.

• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic compositions to Coumarins.