THE RESEARCH FRONT OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR NEW AND ONGOING CLINICAL TRIALS
Highlights of current or recently completed clinical studies are provided below. Your generous donations provide support to fund these trials – please help us discover better treatments to combat many blinding retinal diseases by considering a gift to the California Retina Research Foundation. Together, we can create a more visible future.
Contact our office if you are interested in participation in any of following trials. 805–884–5185
Clinical Trial: CATT
Eligibility: For patients with wet AMD.Goal: To compare the efficacy of Lucentis versus Avastin.
Two research trials are currently accepting patients suffering from wet-macular degeneration. In the clinical trial known as CATT, (Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials), the purpose is to compare the efficacy of two different drugs: Lucentis and Avastin. This study is funded by the National Eye Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health. Patients with previously untreated wet-macular degeneration are eligible. All patients in this trial will receive one of the two drugs on either a fixed monthly dosage regimen or variable dosing regimen based on the presence of fluid in the back of the eye. Follow-up is monthly for two years.
Clinical Trial: Comentis
Eligibility: Patients receiving Lucentis or Avastin to treat macular edema.Goal: To determine outcome and success of using an eye-drop solution concurrent with Lucentis or Avastin.
The Comentis Study is for patients who receive frequent injections of Lucentis or Avastin for recurrent macular edema due to neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The new treatment in this study is an eye-drop solution called ATG003 (mecamylamine HCl) and it is used in combination with Lucentis or Avastin injections, to determine if the combination of these two therapies can reduce the number of injections of Lucentis or Avastin required, prolong the effects of the injections and/or reduce the need for repeat injections. All patients are seen monthly for one year.
Clinical Trial: Othera-Omega
Eligibility: Patients suffering from dry-AMD, closed to new participants.Goal: To determine efficacy of OT-551.
In the Othera-Omega trial for dry-AMD (non-neovascular), patient follow-up is ongoing with an anticipated completion date of March 2009. A total of 126 patients from 15 sites throughout the country were enrolled. In this trial, patients applied an eye drop solution containing the compound OT-551 (Othera Pharmaceuticals) twice a day for two years. This study will determine if OT-551 can help slow the progression of dry AMD.
Clinical Trial: DRCRN
Eligibility: Patients with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.Goal: To determine the efficacy of combination treatments.
Two ongoing clinical research trials conducted by the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCRN) are investigating the combination of laser treatment with triamcinolone acetonide (steroid) or ranibizumab (Lucentis) for patients with (a) Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) and (b) Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). Patients that require laser treatment for PDR may be eligible for this trial if they meet additional eligibility criteria. Enrollment is open in the PDR trial. The DME trial was completed in December 2008 and is no longer enrolling patients