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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)Phase 2dnaJP1NCT07013110

An Artificial Intelligence-powered Approach to Precision Immunotherapy of Human Arthritis

A Phase 2 study testing dnaJP1 in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Rheumatology, run by Prof Salvatore Albani at 1 site in Singapore.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This clinical study is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, outpatient study comparing the efficacy of combination of dnaJP1 peptide and hydroxychloroquine versus combination of placebo and hydroxychloroquine in patients with moderately to severely active RA who are naive to cs-, b… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Rheumatology
What is being tested?
dnaJP1
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
124 participants
Where
1 siteSingapore
Study dates
18 Jun 2025to Nov 2028
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria
  • DAS28-ESR score more than 3.2 (at least moderately active)
  • Male or female with age 21 or above
  • Ability to understand and sign informed consent
  • Agree to use acceptable methods of contraception for e.g. oral contraceptive pills, implanted contraception, barrier methods, and intra-uterine devices
  • Allowed used of oral Prednisone up to 10 mg/day and NSAIDs, as prescribed by the treating physician
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  • Able and willing to comply with the protocol, including availability for all scheduled study visits and assessments.
  • Using the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for RA, classification as definite RA is based upon the presence of synovitis in at least one joint, the absence of an alternative diagnosis that better explains the synovitis, and the achievement of a total score of at least 6 (of a possible 10) from the individual scores in four domains. The highest score achieved in a given domain is used for this calculation. These domains and their values are:
  • Number and site of involved joints:
  • 2 to 10 large joints (from among shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles) = 1 point
  • 1 to 3 small joints (from among the metacarpophalangeal joints, proximal interphalangeal joints, second through fifth metatarsophalangeal joints, thumb interphalangeal joints, and wrists) = 2 points
  • 4 to 10 small joints = 3 points
  • Greater than 10 joints (including at least 1 small joint) = 5 points
  • Serological abnormality (rheumatoid factor or anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibody)
  • Low positive (above the upper limit of normal [ULN]) = 2 points
  • High positive (greater than three times the ULN) = 3 points
  • Elevated acute phase response (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] or C-reactive protein [CRP]) above the ULN = 1 point
  • Symptom duration at least six weeks = 1 point

Who cannot join

  • On prednisolone >10 mg daily
  • History of receiving:
  • conventional synthetic (cs-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as sulfasalazine, methotrexate, and leflunomide administered 6 months prior to screening
  • •. biological (b-) DMARDs such as rituximab, infliximab, tocilizumab, adalimumab, etc.
  • tissue-specific (tsp.-) DMARDs such as JAK inhibitors
  • History of lymphoma
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  • Active malignancy requiring treatment the last 5 years except for non-melanoma skin cancers and carcinoma of the cervix in situ
  • Pregnancy
  • Breast-feeding
  • Active Infection, e.g., Hepatitis B, tuberculosis
  • A known hypersensitivity to dnaJP1 or to any of the excipients
  • Significant cardiac history, e.g., have experienced any of the following within 12 weeks of study entry: myocardial infarction, unstable ischemic heart disease, stroke, or New York Heart Association Stage IV heart failure
  • A history or presence of dermatological, cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, gastrointestinal, endocrine, haematological, neurological, or neuropsychiatric disorders or any other serious and/or unstable illness that, in the opinion of the investigator, could constitute a risk when taking HCQ and/or the investigational product or could interfere with the interpretation of data
  • An eGFR based on the most recent available serum creatinine using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) method of <40 ml/min/1.73 m2
  • A history of chronic liver disease with the most recent available aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >1.5 times the ULN or the most recent available total bilirubin 1.5 times the ULN

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Salvatore Albani, MD PhD contact

+65 6576 7179

salvo@duke-nus.edu.sg

Grace Compton-Tan contact

+65 6576 7185

Singapore1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Singapore General Hospital

    Singapore, 169856

    Chin Teck NG, MD, +65 6321 4028, ng.chin.teck@singhealth.com.sg

    Recruiting

Other trials in Singapore

About this study

Official title: An Artificial Intelligence-powered Approach to Precision Immunotherapy of Human Arthritis - A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial

This clinical study is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, outpatient study comparing the efficacy of combination of dnaJP1 peptide and hydroxychloroquine versus combination of placebo and hydroxychloroquine in patients with moderately to severely active RA who are naive to cs-, b-, tsp.-DMARDs.

A sample size of 124 patients will be enrolled in the study. Each patient will receive either combination of dnaJP1 peptide and hydroxychloroquine or combination of placebo and hydroxychloroquine in 1:1 allocation ratio.

Read the detailed description

Despite the availability of a plethora of new drugs to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), a holistic and accurate understanding of how therapy with biologics works is still missing. The knowledge gap is particularly poignant if one considers that the second-generation drugs developed for immune therapy is still entirely suppressive. Thus, the dramatic advances in molecular immunology has yet to be translated into the needed evolution from immune suppression to true immune tolerization, an important step on the evolutionary pathway from therapy to cure.

This study is designed to be a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial which has two fundamental objectives:

To identify and dissect mechanisms of induction of immune tolerance in RA patients in response to immune therapy with dnaJP1, a microbiome-derived peptide. Tangibly in the context of clinical development, the investigators aim to capitalize on this knowledge to identify and validate biomarkers predictor of efficacy and clinical response;

The investigators will also determine the effect size needed to demonstrate whether the combination of dnaJP1 peptide and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is superior to the combination of placebo and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of patients with moderately to severely active RA naïve to disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (i.e. DMARDs and biologics-naïve).

Being tested
dnaJP1, Placebo
Keywords
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatology, dnaJP1, Immune Tolerance
Medical subject headings
Arthritis, Rheumatoid

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • dnaJP1Drug

    The study drug is dnaJP1 peptide. It is a manmade short protein that can be taken easily as a pill. dnaJP1 works to restore the body's immune tolerance by improving its ability to self-adjust - helps to restore the immune system and improve controls on inflammation that has been lost.

  • PlaceboDrug

    This is the control.

Study groups in NCT07013110
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
dnaJP1ExperimentaldnaJP1 peptide 25mg with Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) 200mg once daily are administered orally, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach.
Receives: Drug: dnaJP1
ControlPlacebo comparatorPlacebo 25mg with Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) 200mg once daily are administered orally, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach.
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. To estimate effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - To determine this ACR20 will be employed

    An American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20% response (ACR20) response was defined as at least 20% improvement in both the tender joint count and the swollen joint count and at least 20% improvement in 3 of the 5 other core set measures listed below.

    The core set required the inclusion of 7 clinical end points for all RA trials: swollen joint count, tender joint count, physician's assessment of disease activity, patient's assessment of disease activity, patient's assessment of pain, and patient's assessment of physical function, and levels of an acute-phase reactant (either the C-reactive protein [CRP] level or the erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]).

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  2. A primary endpoint of the study will be to determine safety and tolerability of the experimental treatment in terms of AEs, SAEs, TEAEs

    Reporting of Adverse Events

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  3. A mechanistic predictor of clinical efficacy at enrolment before first dosing related to immune changes in the cell activation

    A combination of high dimensionality technologies will be employed, which will include single cell proteomics, a single cell RNA SEQ flow cytometry and mechanistic studies in vitro

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  4. A mechanistic biomarker of treatment response based on 20% change from baseline in increase in Tregs and decrease in inflammatory T cells

    Immunological analysis performed on patients samples

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. To estimate the effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - ACR50

    The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 50% response (ACR50) response is the same instruments with improvement levels defined as 50% versus 20% for ACR20

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  2. To estimate the effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - ACR70

    The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 70% response (ACR70) response is the same instruments with improvement levels defined as 70% versus 20% for ACR20

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  3. To estimate the effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - DAS28-ESR

    Disease Activity Score-28 for Rheumatoid Arthritis with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28- ESR) describes severity of rheumatoid arthritis using clinical and laboratory data, specifically ESR. The number "28" describes the number of different joints examined in the assessment. The DAS-ESR values range from 2.0 to 10.0 while higher values indicate higher disease activity.

    A DAS28-ESR score of ≤ 2.6 indicates remission or ≤ 3.2 indicates low disease activity.

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  4. To estimate the effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - DAS28-hsCRP

    Disease Activity Score-28 for Rheumatoid Arthritis with CRP (DAS28-CRP) is a modification of the DAS28-ESR, DAS28-CRP uses the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) value instead of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The DAS28-CRP values range from 2.0 to 10.0 while higher values indicate higher disease activity.

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  5. To estimate the effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) Score

    The CDAI is a composite index (without acute-phase reactant) for assessing disease activity. CDAI score is based on the simple summation of the count of swollen/tender joint count of 28 joints along with patient and physician global assessment on VAS (0-10 cm) Scale for estimating disease activity. The CDAI score ranges from 0 to 76. A CDAI score of ≤ 2.8 indicates remission of disease.

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

  6. To estimate the effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI)

    The SDAI is the numerical sum of five outcome parameters: tender and swollen joint count (based on a 28-joint assessment), patient and physician global assessment of disease activity [visual analogue scale (VAS) 0-10 cm] and level of C-reactive protein (mg/dl, normal <1 mg/dl). A SDAI score of ≤ 3.3 indicates remission of disease.

    Measured: At Study End being 7 Months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Jun 2025
  2. Study start18 Jun 2025
  3. Primary completionNov 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionNov 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator
Enrolment
124 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07013110
Sponsor's protocol ID
dnaJP1
Acronym
dnaJP1
Status last verified
Aug 2025
First submitted
7 May 2025
Last updated
11 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing dnaJP1 in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Rheumatology, run by Prof Salvatore Albani at 1 site in Singapore.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 18 inclusion and 15 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Singapore. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Salvatore Albani, MD PhD (+65 6576 7179, salvo@duke-nus.edu.sg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

To estimate effect size needed to ascertain the power i.e. the number of patients to be tested in the future study to prove superiority of the combination dnaJP1 and HCQ versus placebo and HCQ - To determine this ACR20 will be employed (time frame: At Study End being 7 Months). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Aug 2025.

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