The Role of Loteprednol in Reducing Post-Intravitreal Injection Related Pain

September 18, 2025 updated by: Vishak John, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Patients are already receiving an intravitreal injection as a standard of care, but they are consenting to receiving a loteprednol drop following the intravitreal injection. This clinical trial is studying the role of loteprednol (corticosteroid) in reducing pain following intravitreal injections for patients with age-related macular degeneration. As of now, there is no definitive pain management technique following intravitreal injections. Loteprednol is a corticosteroid widely used in ophthalmology to treat pain and inflammation, however, it has not been studied as a treatment for pain following intravitreal injections. Our overall goal is to manage pain to improve quality of care after intravitreal injections. Participants will be given either loteprednol, or artificial tears following one visit for an intravitreal injection to test how effective loteprednol is in pain reduction. Pain levels will be assessed by asking participants over the phone about their pain from a scale of 0 to 10 at three different times over a 1-week period. Artificial tear and medication usage will also be tracked over a 1-week period.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Patients are already receiving an intravitreal injection as a standard of care for age-related macular degeneration, but they are consenting to receiving a loteprednol drop following the intravitreal injection for the research study. Loteprednol is used as a part of regular medical care at the Vistar Eye Center following intravitreal injections but quantifying the magnitude of pain reduction has not been done yet. Additionally, as of now there is no definitive pain management technique following intravitreal injections. This clinical trial is studying the role of loteprednol (corticosteroid) in reducing pain following intravitreal injections for patients with age-related macular degeneration. Participants will be treated with either loteprednol, or artificial tears following one visit for an intravitreal injection at the Vistar Eye Center to test how effective loteprednol is in pain reduction. Pain levels will be assessed by asking participants over the phone about their pain from a scale of 0 to 10 at 2-hours, 1-day, and 1-week following the intravitreal injection. Intravitreal injections will be performed by the retina surgeon, and phone calls will be done with the research coordinator. Artificial tear and medication usage will also be tracked over a 1-week period.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
64

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Paul K Varghese
  • Phone Number: 7033999886
  • Email: paulv@vt.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Virginia
      • Roanoke, Virginia, United States, 24019
        • Vistar Eye Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All patients must have age-related macular degeneration and be undergoing intravitreal injections for treatment as defined by a retina specialist.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Dementia
  • Report baseline eye pain
  • Use topical NSAIDs or steroids
  • Patient under 18 years old
  • History of corticosteroid responsive elevation in intraocular pressure
  • Allergy to Loteprednol or Nepafenac
  • Pre-existing chronic pain disorders
  • Advanced Glaucoma
  • Herpes zoster
  • Allergy to local anesthetic or penicillin
  • Patients unable to consent on own behalf
  • Patients unable to communicate pain
  • Pregnancy
  • Incarceration

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Loteprednol
1 drop of Loteprednol is administered immediately after the intravitreal injection in this treatment arm.
Drug: Loteprednol Etabonate Ophthalmic Gel [Lotemax]
Loteprednol (ophthalmic corticosteroid) will be stored in the clinic according to the instructions on the package. The vial will be stored upright between 15°-25°C (59°-77°F). In the clinic, the vial will be opened by the retina surgeon according to sterile procedure and administered (1 drop) by the surgeon immediately after the intravitreal injection.
Placebo Comparator: Artificial tears
1 drop of artificial tears is administered immediately after the intravitreal injection in this treatment arm. This arm acts as a negative control.
Other: Refresh Lubricant Eye Drops [Artificial Tears]
REFRESH® Brand Lubricant Eye Drops are artificial tears. In the clinic, the vial will be opened by the retina surgeon according to sterile procedure and administered (1 drop) by the surgeon immediately after the intravitreal injection.
Other Names:
  • Refresh

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Post-Intravitreal Injection Pain
Time Frame: 2-hour Post-Intravitreal Injection
11-point Numerical Rating Scale (0-10, 0 being the lowest level of pain and 10 being highest level of pain)
2-hour Post-Intravitreal Injection
Post-Intravitreal Injection Pain
Time Frame: 1-day Post-Intravitreal Injection
11-point Numerical Rating Scale (0-10, 0 being the lowest level of pain and 10 being highest level of pain)
1-day Post-Intravitreal Injection
Post-Intravitreal Injection Pain
Time Frame: 1-week Post-Intravitreal Injection
11-point Numerical Rating Scale (0-10, 0 being the lowest level of pain and 10 being highest level of pain)
1-week Post-Intravitreal Injection

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Analgesic Medication Use
Time Frame: 2-hour Post-Intravitreal Injection
Pill count
2-hour Post-Intravitreal Injection
Analgesic Medication Use
Time Frame: 1-day Post-Intravitreal Injection
Pill count
1-day Post-Intravitreal Injection
Analgesic Medication Use
Time Frame: 1-week Post-Intravitreal Injection
Pill count
1-week Post-Intravitreal Injection
Artificial Tear Use
Time Frame: 2-hour Post-Intravitreal Injection
Artificial Tear Drop Count
2-hour Post-Intravitreal Injection
Artificial Tear Use
Time Frame: 1-day Post-Intravitreal Injection
Artificial Tear Drop Count
1-day Post-Intravitreal Injection
Artificial Tear Use
Time Frame: 1-week Post-Intravitreal Injection
Artificial Tear Drop Count
1-week Post-Intravitreal Injection

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Vistar Eye Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Vishak John, MD, Vistar Eye Center
  • Principal Investigator: Romulo Albuquerque, M.D., Ph.D., Vistar Eye Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 22, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 1, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 14, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 19, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 18, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 22-514

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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