Active clinical trials for "Macular Degeneration"

To evaluate the efficacy, based on the best-corrected visual acuity (using the ETDRS chart), of a 0.3 mg/eye pegaptanib sodium intravitreous injection given every 6 weeks for 54 weeks in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration and evidence of recent onset, subfoveal and/or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization.

The long-term goal is to show that retinal transplantation can help to prevent blindness and to restore eyesight in patients with dry age related macular degeneration.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether taking 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP, fomepizole, Antizol™) inhibits dark adaptation of the eye. In other words, we are testing if 4-MP slows the processing of vitamin A derivatives in the eye. By slowing down these processes, individuals with Stargardt disease may have better chances of saving their remaining vision. 4-MP has been shown to slow dark adaptation in animals, and is FDA approved for human use to treat individuals with methanol or ethylene glycol (antifreeze) poisoning by shutting down the body's ability to process alcohols. This medication has an excellent safety profile and has been reported to have no short-term or long-term side effects, as long as patients refrain from any alcohol while the medication is in the body. A single dose of 4-MP remains in the body for about 12 hours, and therefore, it may inhibit dark adaptation of your eyes for up to 12 hours. Studying the effects of 4-MP may lead to effective medical treatment to save Stargardt patients' vision, and may also have similar effects in other macular degenerative diseases.

The study will test if the efficacy and safety of an alternative dosing regimen is as effective as monthly injections.

The objectives of this study are to characterize the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of pegaptanib when given as 1 or 3mg/eye intravitreous injections every 6 weeks for 54 weeks in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to AMD.

The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of different doses and several exposure times of intravitreal microplasmin in the setting of pars plana vitrectomy for vitreomacular traction maculopathy.

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new formulation of triamcinolone acetonide for the treatment of retinal blood vessel disorders. Triamcinolone is a steroid drug that decreases inflammation and scarring and is routinely used to treat eye inflammation or swelling. The commercially available form of this drug is associated with potentially harmful side effects thought to be due to preservatives in the preparation. This study will use a formulation that does not contain these potentially harmful preservatives. Preliminary findings from other studies suggest that injection of steroids in the eye can reduce retinal thickening and improve vision. However, they may also cause mild discomfort and lead to vision-threatening conditions. The effects of the drug on the conditions under study in this protocol are not known. Patients with the following conditions involving disorders of retinal blood vessels may be eligible for this study: Choroidal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration (50 years of age and older) Macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion (18 years of age and older) Diabetic macular edema ((18 years of age and older) Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: Medical history and physical examination Eye examination to assess visual acuity (eye chart test) and eye pressure, and to examine pupils, lens, retina and eye movements. The pupils will be dilated with drops for this examination. Fluorescein angiography to evaluate the eye's blood vessels. A yellow dye is injected into an arm vein and travels to the blood vessels in the eyes. Pictures of the retina are taken using a camera that flashes a blue light into the eye. The pictures show if any dye has leaked from the vessels into the retina, indicating possible blood vessel abnormality. Indocyanine green angiography to identify feeder vessels that may be supplying abnormal blood vessels. This procedure is similar to fluorescein angiography, but uses a green dye and flashes an invisible light. Optical coherence tomography to measure retinal thickness. This test shines a light into the eye and produces cross-sectional pictures of the retina. These measurements are repeated during the study to determine if retinal thickening is getting better or worse, or staying the same. Stereoscopic color fundus photography to examine the back of the eye. The pupils are dilated with eye drops to allow examination and photography of the back of the eye. Triamcinolone acetonide injection to treat the eye. A numbing eye drop, an antibiotic eye drop, and an injected antibiotic are put in the eye before triamcinolone acetonide is injected into the eye's vitreous (jelly-like substance inside the eye). After the injection, the patient lies on his or her back for 30 minutes. An antibiotic eye ointment is used for 2 days following treatment. Blood tests to measure liver and kidney function. Patients return to the clinic for follow-up visits 1, 4, and 7 days, and 1 month after the first treatment. Patients whose condition does not improve after 3 months do not receive any more injections, but return for eye examinations at least once a year for 3 years. Patients whose condition improves with treatment return for follow-up visits 6 and 9 months after the first injection and then every 6 months for 2 more years. At each visit, a determination is made whether another injection is needed. After each repeat injection, patients return for follow-up visits at 1, 4, and 7 days after the injection.

This study will try to identify and treat feeder vessels in age-related macular degeneration. The macula is the part of the retina in the back of the eye that determines central or best vision. In macular degeneration, leaking blood vessels under the macula lead to loss of central vision. These vessels branch out tree-like from one or more feeder vessels. Instead of treating all the abnormal branching vessels, this study will try to find and close only the feeder vessels, thereby depriving the abnormal vessels of nutrition. The vessels will be closed with laser beam treatment. People 50 years of age and older with macular degeneration and visual acuity worse than 20/50 in the study eye and the same or better vision in the other eye may be eligible for this study. Candidates will undergo fluorescein angiography to try to locate feeder vessels. For this procedure, a yellow dye is injected into an arm vein. The dye travels to the blood vessels in the eyes, and pictures of the retina are taken using a camera that flashes a blue light into the eye. The pictures show if any dye has leaked from the vessels into the retina, indicating possible blood vessel abnormality. Before laser treatment, participants will have a complete eye examination, including measurement of visual acuity, evaluation of the front part of the eye with a slit lamp microscope, examination of the retina with an ophthalmoscope, and measurement of eye pressure using a tonometer. During the laser treatment phase of the study, participants will have indocyanine green angiography-a procedure similar to fluorescein angiography, but using a green dye-to photograph the retina and identify feeder vessels. If feeder vessels are located, laser beam treatment will begin. For this procedure, the eye is anesthetized with numbing drops. A special contact lens is then placed on the eye for the laser treatment. The number of treatments depends on how well the individual patient responds, but usually between two and eight treatments are required. The indocyanine green angiogram will be repeated after the laser beam treatment to determine if the feeder vessels have been successfully closed. If the vessels remain partially open, a repeat application will be done, followed by another indocyanine green angiogram to check the results. Patients will be checked in the clinic after 1 week to see if additional treatment is needed. If so, re-treatment will be done in a week. If no re-treatment is required, follow-up visits will be scheduled 2, 3, and 6 weeks after treatment, 3 and 6 months after treatment, and every 6 months after that for 2 years to evaluate treatment results. The evaluations will include fluorescein angiograms and other examinations that were done before starting treatment. If abnormal vessels are still present or growing, repeat treatments will be applied following the same procedure.

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the safety of AdGVPEDF.11D when given to patients with "wet" age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AdGVPEDF.11D is a replication deficient (E1, E3 and E4 deleted) adenovirus vector containing the gene for the PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor) protein. PEDF is a protein that naturally exists in the human eye, but whose levels are altered in diseases characterized by ocular neovascularization like AMD. The PEDF protein is known to have anti-angiogenic effects or, in other words, it has the ability to inhibit growth of new blood vessels. AdGVPEDF.11D will be delivered once via intravitreal injection into one eye. The injected eye will be the eye with the worst visual acuity.

To determine safety, pharmacokinetics, and duration of effect of intravitreally administered AIV007 gel suspension in subjects with neovascular age-related macular degeneration