Apremilast in the Treatment of Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA)

Exclusion Criteria

• •Systemic or intralesional treatment of CCCA for 4 weeks prior to baseline visit, including but not limited to corticosteroids (systemic, intralesional), oral tetracycline antibiotics, and oral anti-inflammatory medications
• •Topical corticosteroid or calcineurin inhibitor treatment of CCCA for 2 weeks prior to baseline visit.
• •Topical minoxidil for 4 weeks prior to baseline visit.
• •Severe or end-stage CCCA with CHLG as defined as CHLG \>3
• •CCCA with frontal accentuation pattern as defined as CHLG 1A to 5A.
• •Diagnosis of other dermatologic diagnosis or condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with diagnosis, examination, or treatment of the studied condition (i.e. lichen planopilaris, systemic lupus, cutaneous lupus) or would require treatment with systemic steroids, topical or intralesional steroids on the scalp, or systemic tetracycline antibiotic therapy during the duration of the study.
• •Other than the disease under study, any clinically significant (as determined by the Investigator) cardiac, endocrinologic, pulmonary, neurologic, psychiatric, hepatic, renal, hematologic, immunologic disease, or other major disease that is currently uncontrolled.
• •Malignancy or history of malignancy, except for: treated \[ie, cured\] basal cell or squamous cell in situ skin carcinomas; treated \[ie, cured\] cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or carcinoma in situ of cervix with no evidence of recurrence within the previous 5 years.
• •Any condition, including the presence of laboratory abnormalities, which would place the subject at unacceptable risk if he/she were to participate in the study.
• •Use of systemic immunosuppressive drugs (including, but not limited to, cyclosporine, corticosteroids, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, methotrexate, or tacrolimus) within four weeks prior to Baseline/Randomization (Visit 2).
• •Prior history of suicide attempt at any time in the subject's life time prior to screening or randomization, or major psychiatric illness requiring hospitalization within the last 3 years.
• •Pregnant or breast feeding.
• •Subjects not willing to implement the following suggested hair care practices and/or maintain the same or similar hair style for the duration of study: Shampoo hair every 7 days with a conditioning shampoo; Condition hair every 7 days with a deep or reconstructive conditioner; Towel-dry hair before exposing it to a dryer to minimize excessive heat; Comb hair daily with a wide-toothed comb; gently pass the comb through hair starting from the ends and working your way up to the roots; Avoid heavy pomades and hair oils to scalp; opt for silicone based products or light pomades to hair shafts; Limit use of styling gels; Limit traction-associated hair styles (e.g. tight braids, tight weaves, tight cornrows) as determined by investigator; Avoid chemical or thermal injury to scalp during hair styling process; Chemical relaxer treatments can be used as long as there is no associated scalp injury (i.e. tingling, burning, pain); Maintain the same hair style throughout the study i.e. weave or braids present at baseline must be maintained through the end of the study; weaves or braids may be redone during the study if needed, but should resemble the subject's hair style at baseline, if possible.
• •Use of any investigational drug within 4 weeks prior to randomization, or 5 pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics half-lives, if known (whichever is longer).
• •Prior treatment with apremilast
• •History of allergy to any component of the IP
• •Active substance abuse or a history of substance abuse within 6 months prior to Screening.