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Head-to-Head: which pill tames hidradenitis suppurativa best?

NCT ID NCT07708480

Disease control Sponsor: Hayat Abad Medical Complex, Peshawar Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares two oral drugs, apremilast and acitretin, to see which works better for moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa, a painful skin condition. About 70 adults take one of the two pills twice daily for 12 weeks. The main goal is to measure how much the disease severity improves.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
oral apremilast or oral acitretin
What this could lead to
If one drug proves more effective, it could offer a better treatment option for people with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa.
What could go wrong
This is a small, 12-week trial, so results may not apply to all patients or predict long-term outcomes. Both drugs have potential side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

70 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2024

Finished

May 2025

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a government body.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 40 years. * Clinically diagnosed moderate hidradenitis suppurativa (International * Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System \[IHS4\] score 4-10) or severe hidradenitis suppurativa (IHS4 score ≥11). * Able and willing to provide written informed consent. * Willing to comply with study visits and treatment for 12 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy. * Previous severe hypersensitivity or adverse reaction to apremilast or acitretin. * Refusal or inability to provide written informed consent. * Diabetes mellitus. * Severe depression. * Dyslipidemia. * Severe hepatic impairment. * Severe renal impairment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

hidradenitis suppurativa

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Hidradenitis suppurativa

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Medical Teaching Institution-Lady Reading Hospital

    Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26000, Pakistan

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