Active clinical trials for "Diabetic Retinopathy"

Treatment of diabetic macular edema with perifoveal focal/grid laser coagulation was found to be effective saving the visual acuity only in 50% of patients and only 3-14% of treated patients had an improved visual acuity postoperatively. The decent results of lasercoagulation are associated with potential side effects, as focal scotomas, change of color discrimination and development of epiretinal gliosis. The frequency of perifoveal laser treatments is anatomically limited in case of diabetic macular edema: after application of about 350 coagulates there is no possibility to repeat the laser treatment perifoveolar without creating confluent lasercoagulates and causing significant scotomas. In case of persistence of edema in spite of complete perifoveal grid coagulation, no standard therapy exists. Some previous studies investigated the effect of steroids in patients with diabetic macular edema unresponsive to grid laser photocoagulation, but the benefit on the visual acuity was only temporary and the intravitreal application was associated with significant side effects as cataract progression (up to 50%) and ocular hypertension (up to 20%). In the Diabetic Retinopathy Study the 4-years rate for severe vision loss in patients with high-risk retinopathy was 20.4 %. In cases of proliferative retinopathy, panretinal (scatter) photocoagulation can reduce the risk for development of high-risk retinopathy by 50% over 6 years. When panretinal lasercoagulation is initiated, about 2000 laser spots are equally distributed in all four quadrants. Since panretinal photocoagulation bares risks like loss of field of vision, central vision reduction and loss of colour vision, this treatment can not be continued unlimited. In cases of persisting neovascularisations in spite of panretinal photocoagulation, no evidence based therapy exists. There is a high risk for intravitreal bleeding, rubeosis, secondary glaucoma with severe vision loss. When fibrovascular proliferation leads to retinal detachment, vitreo-retinal surgery might be indicated. Now we know that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the major angiogenic stimulus responsible for increase of vasopermeability, cellproliferation and angiogenesis in diabetic retinopathy (DRP). Several studies, evaluating VEGF levels in vitreous, have indicated a role for VEGF in diabetic macular edema: vitreous samples of patients with diabetic macular edema contain elevated VEGF concentration and VEGF injected in experimental studies results in breakdown of the blood-retina barrier. There is increasing evidence for a therapeutic role of anti-VEGF drugs not only in age-related macular degeneration but also in other diseases as in diabetic macular edema. Intravitreal injections have become the most favored treatment procedure for administering anti-VEGF drugs. The side effects and the decent results of laser treatment on the visual acuity in diabetic macular edema led to studies using anti-VEGF therapy. Unpublished study results on the aptamer pegaptanib (Macugen™) are promising. A study using the antibody fragment Ranibizumab (Lucentis™) in patiens with diabetic macula edema is in progress. Ranibizumab is now approved to be used as an intravitreal injection. Currently there is one additional anti-VEGF drug already on the market: Bevacizumab (Avastin™), which has approved as intravenous infusion for the treatment of metastatic colo-rectal cancer. Previous studies have shown that systemic use of Bevacizumab (Avastin™) can obtain very promising results on patients with choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) by age-related macular degenetration. This drug, a monoclonal full-length antibody, designed to bind all isoforms of VEGF is a large molecule. But case reports in patients with CNV caused by age-related macular degeneration and with macular edema from central retinal vein occlusion indicate that intravitreally given Bevacizumab (Avastin™) is effective in diseases originating from the choroids and the retina, too. These findings imply a sufficient penetration of the retina by Bevacizumab (Avastin™). Based on these new findings and the important role of VEGF in diabetic retinopathy, we propose a pilot study for treatment of persistent diabetic macular edema or persisting active neovascularistaions following lasercoagulation with intravitreally administered Bevacizumab (Avastin™) or Ranibizumab (Lucentis™).

Diabetic neovascularization refers to a type of diabetic retinopathy which is worsening by the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the back of the eye, damaging the retina. The usual treatment is a type of laser, called panretinal photocoagulation. One drawback is that the amount of space within the eye for use of this treatment eventually has its limit, and should not be used too near the part of the retina used for detailed vision (the macula). In similar eye disorders, there are certain injectable medications called anti-VEGF treatments which can slow down or stop this abnormal blood vessel growth. This study sought to compare use of ranibizumab versus standard panretinal photocoagulation in treatment of diabetic neovascularization.

The purpose of the study is to find out which is a better treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME): laser alone, laser combined with an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone, laser combined with an intravitreal injection of ranibizumab, or intravitreal injection of ranibizumab alone. At the present time, it is not known whether intravitreal steroid or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections, with or without laser treatment, are better than just laser by itself. It is possible that one or both of the types of injections, with or without laser treatment, will improve vision more often than will laser without injections. However, even if better vision outcomes are seen with injections, side effects may be more of a problem with the injections than with laser. Therefore, this study is conducted to find out whether the benefits of the injections will outweigh the risks.

The formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), blood vessel leakage, and inflammation contribute to the progression of the eye disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of irreversible, severe loss of vision in people 55 years of age and older in the developed world. TG100801 is a new drug that inhibits ocular angiogenesis, vascular leak, and inflammation in laboratory studies, and may have great utility in the treatment of diseases such as AMD. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety, ocular tolerability, and blood pharmacokinetics of TG100801 at escalating doses in healthy volunteers.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab is effective in reducing intra-operative and postoperative bleeding in diabetic patients submitted to pars plana vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage.

To provide ruboxistaurin treatment to patients who completed the B7A-MC-MBCM study (NCT00604383), and who are felt by the investigator to have the potential to benefit from the ruboxistaurin treatment. Patients must be off study drug for 6 to 18 months from completion of B7A-MC-MBCM before beginning B7A-MC-MBDV. Additional data will be gathered to determine the long-term safety and effect of ruboxistaurin on vision.

This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy of intra-vitreal injections of Ranibizumab (Lucentis) in the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema as compared to grid/focal laser.

The purpose of this study is to determine if ruboxistaurin can help slow the worsening of an eye disease called macular edema in patients with diabetes.

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of intravitreous injections of Vitrase to induce posterior vitreous detachment(PVD) in subjects with moderate to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug sorbinil, an aldose reductase inhibitor, in preventing the development of diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy in persons with insulin-dependent diabetes.