Completed

Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Lindioil (Indigo Naturalis Oil Extract) Ointment to Protopic® (Tacrolimus 0.1%) Ointment in Treating Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized, Evaluator-blind, Crossover, Active-Controlled Trial

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What is being tested

Lindioil ointment

+ Protopic ointment 0.1%

Drug
Who is being recruted

Dermatitis+8

+ Dermatitis, Atopic

+ Hypersensitivity

From 16 to 65 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 2
Interventional
Study Start: June 2019
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorChang Gung Memorial Hospital
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: June 3, 2019

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by itchiness. Topical corticosteroids are typically used to treat AD. However, many patients have concerns about the safety of long-term use, and seek alternative therapies such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In TCM, indigo naturalis has been used to treat various infectious and inflammatory skin diseases for hundreds of years. The investigate also found that the results of indigo naturalis ointment treatment in other trial were comparable to the results of calcineurin inhibitor (such as Tacrolimus) treatment, and would like to verify this assertion. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of Lindioil ointment with that of Protopic® (Tacrolimus ointment 0.1%) in treating AD.

Official TitleComparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Lindioil (Indigo Naturalis Oil Extract) Ointment to Protopic® (Tacrolimus 0.1%) Ointment in Treating Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized, Evaluator-blind, Crossover, Active-Controlled Trial
NCT03614221
Principal SponsorChang Gung Memorial Hospital
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

22 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

From 16 to 65 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

DermatitisDermatitis, AtopicHypersensitivityHypersensitivity, ImmediateImmune System DiseasesCongenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and AbnormalitiesSkin DiseasesSkin Diseases, GeneticSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesSkin Diseases, EczematousGenetic Diseases, Inborn

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Between 16 and 65 years old, female or male. 2. Chronic or sub-acute atopic dermatitis fulfilling the United Kingdom (UK) diagnostic criteria of atopic dermatitis. 3. Atopic dermatitis involving 3-40% of BSA at screening and baseline. 4. An IGA score of 2 (mild) to 4 (severe) at screening and baseline. 5. Not supposed to or unwilling to use corticosteroids. 6. Female patients of child-bearing age agree to use effective birth control measures approved by the investigator. 7. Agree to avoid natural and artificial sunlight over-exposure during the study. 8. Willing to comply with study protocol and agree to sign an informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: 1. Acute atopic dermatitis or concurrence of viral or bacterial infection on dermatitis lesion(s). 2. A history of topical or systematic hypersensitivity to indigo naturalis, tacrolimus, or the excipient(s) in the ointment(s). 3. Having received systemic therapy (e.g. immunosuppressive agents) within 14 days, or phototherapy (e.g. ultraviolet B (UVB), psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA)) within 42 days before the first application of the study medication. 4. Having used topical therapy (e.g. corticosteroids) for dermatitis within 4 days before the first application of the study medication. 5. Having a significant concurrent disease such as severe uncontrolled chronic disease (e.g., hypertension, diabetes mellitus, metabolic arthritis, hyperthyroidism), psychiatric disease, cancer or AIDS. 6. Having significant abnormal liver or renal function (Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \>3 x upper limit of normal (ULN), creatinine \>2.0 mg/dl) or clinically significant abnormal hematological lab result, according to investigator's judgment, on the safety lab test to be performed within 30 days before the baseline visit. 7. Women who are lactating, pregnant or planning to be pregnant during the study.

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

2 intervention groups are designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Lindioil ointment is applied twice daily for 6 weeks, followed by a washout period of 4 days to 8 weeks depending on the results of the first treatment period and the amount of time it takes the participant to relapse to IGA ≥ 2 and less than 1-point of change from baseline1ST IGA. If relapse to IGA ≥ 2 and less than 1-point of change from baseline1ST IGA is achieved, the patient is using Protopic ointment 0.1% twice daily for another 6 weeks. If the criteria for entering the 2nd treatment are not achievable after 8-week of ceasing 1st treatment, the subject will be followed up for another 6 weeks to the end of the study

Group II

Active Comparator
Protopic ointment 0.1% is applied twice daily for 6 weeks, followed by a washout period of 4 days to 8 weeks depending on the results of the first treatment period and the amount of time it takes the participant to relapse to IGA ≥ 2 and less than 1-point of change from baseline1ST IGA. If relapse to IGA ≥ 2 and less than 1-point of change from baseline1ST IGA is achieved, the patient is using Lindioil ointment twice daily for another 6 weeks. If the criteria for entering the 2nd treatment are not achievable after 8-week of ceasing 1st treatment, the subject will be followed up for another 6 weeks to the end of the study

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 2 locations

Suspended

Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Taipei, TaiwanOpen Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Google Maps
Suspended

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Taoyuan District, Taiwan
Completed2 Study Centers