A study testing a once-daily topical cream in adults with a hypertrophic sternotomy scar, run at accredited sites in Brisbane and Perth on behalf of the study sponsor. Around 20 people will take part. We'll explain exactly what the study drug is and how it works when we speak with you at your screening call.
A quick visual guide to the scar this study focuses on, and how it's divided for treatment.
A sternotomy scar runs down the centre of the chest, left after the breastbone (sternum) is opened for heart surgery. In some people, this heals as a hypertrophic scar — thicker, firmer and more raised than the surrounding skin, though (unlike a keloid scar) it stays within the original wound line.
In this study, your scar is divided into two treatment segments — the section nearest your neck and the section nearest your navel — with a small untreated buffer segment left in between. One segment receives the study cream and the other receives a placebo, so results can be compared within the same person, on the same scar.
No overnight stays — this study is entirely outpatient. It's a mix of clinic visits, a daily at-home routine, and one phone check-in.
This study is testing an experimental topical cream to find out how safe and well-tolerated it is, and what effect it has on hypertrophic (thick, raised) sternotomy scars, when applied once daily for 90 days. It's a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study — the newest phase of a trial that has already been through earlier stages of testing.
Your sternotomy scar will be divided into two sections — the segment nearest your neck and the segment nearest your navel. One section receives the study cream and the other receives a placebo cream, applied from separate, clearly marked applicators (a "split-scar" design). Neither you nor the study team will know which section gets which — this is what makes it double-blinded. You'll apply the cream yourself at home each day, and staff will apply it for you at your clinic visits.
We won't go into what the cream is designed to treat, or its full mechanism, on this page — the study doctor will explain the background, purpose and any risks in detail during your screening call, before you decide whether to take part.
Payment covers your time, plus travel, parking and meals — you're not out of pocket for taking part.
This is a general guide — full eligibility is confirmed at your screening visit.
