Systemic sclerosis causes the immune system to attack connective tissue, leading to skin thickening and damage to internal organs—especially the lungs, heart, and digestive system. Around 300,000 Americans have it. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and slowing organ damage, but no drug stops the underlying disease process.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that target the fibrosis itself—including pirfenidone and nintedanib, both approved for lung scarring in other diseases. Researchers are also studying JAK inhibitors for skin thickening, stem cell transplant for severe early disease, and medications to prevent or treat pulmonary hypertension and kidney crisis.
Antifibrotic drugs
Pirfenidone and nintedanib slow lung scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and are now being tested in systemic sclerosis lung disease. Early results suggest they may preserve lung function better than current options.
JAK inhibitors
Drugs like tofacitinib and baricitinib calm immune signaling and are being tested to see if they soften thickened skin. Some trials combine them with drugs targeting fibrosis directly.
Stem cell transplant
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant resets the immune system and has shown long-term benefits in people with severe, rapidly progressing disease. Trials are refining who benefits most and how to make the procedure safer.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease duration, which organs are affected, how quickly the disease is progressing, and whether you've tried standard treatments like immunosuppressants.
What types of trials are currently open
- Lung disease trials — Testing antifibrotic drugs and other medications to slow the scarring that causes breathing problems in systemic sclerosis.
- Skin trials — Testing drugs like JAK inhibitors to soften thickened skin and improve movement.
- Pulmonary hypertension trials — Testing drugs that open blood vessels in the lungs, a complication that causes shortness of breath and heart strain.
- Stem cell trials — Studies of stem cell transplant for people with severe, early systemic sclerosis that's progressing quickly.
- Natural history studies — Following people over time to understand how the disease progresses and what factors predict organ damage.
Recently added Systemic Sclerosis trials
Share your health data about pelvic floor and lung involvement
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous multisystem disease characterized by vascular dysfunction, immune abnormalities, and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Pulmonary involvement, particularly interstitial lung disease (ILD), is one of the most common and clinically important manifestations of SSc and may lead to impaired pulmonary function, respiratory muscle weakness, reduced diaphragmatic function, and decreased exercise capacity. In addition to pulmonary involvement, systemic inflammation, physical inactivity, nutritional disturbances, and musculoskeletal manifestations may contribute to generalized skeletal muscle dysfunction in individuals with SSc. Pelvic floor dysfunction, including urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction, has also been reported in individuals with SSc. Previous studies have suggested that vascular dysfunction, tissue fibrosis, and structural and functional abnormalities of the pelvic floor may contribute to these symptoms. Furthermore, impaired pelvic floor and sexual function in women with SSc have been associated with several disease-related characteristics, including dyspnea, interstitial lung disease, reduced physical activity, functional disability, and impaired quality of life. The pelvic floor muscles form the inferior component of the core muscle system and function synergistically with the diaphragm and abdominal muscles to regulate intra-abdominal pressure. Coordinated activity between the diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles during respiration has been demonstrated. Therefore, pulmonary and respiratory muscle involvement in SSc may potentially be associated with impaired pelvic floor function. However, the relationships between pelvic floor dysfunction and pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, and core endurance in patients with SSc with pulmonary involvement remain insufficiently understood. Investigating these relationships may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of pelvic floor dysfunction and its associated factors in this population.
Take an experimental immune therapy for autoimmune disease
The primary objectives of this trial are to evaluate the safety and tolerability and to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or recommended Phase 2 dose of FT839 with or without rituximab and/or background therapy and/or conditioning therapy.
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