Toronto and Oak Ridge Photobiomodulation Study for Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (TORPA)

A Pilot Study to Evaluate Clinical Outcomes of Photobiomodulation in Patients With Age Related Macular Degeneration of the Dry Type.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes of Photobiomodulation treatment on patients with dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

Photobiomodulation is the use of non thermal, non laser light of specific wavelengths and energy directly on the eye to improve retinal function and delay AMD progression.

This is a prospective 2 center phase 2 clinical pilot study with no placebo group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Nonexudative Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Photobiomodulation (Gentlewaves, Warp 10)

Detailed Description

Dry AMD is a progressive sight threatening disease affecting central acute vision. Dry AMD may progress to the wet form where leaking and bleeding in the retina can cause sudden severe visual loss.

There are no proven active treatments for Dry AMD. Dry AMD accounts for over 80% of AMD cases.

There are estimated to be 30 million people afflicted with AMD by the year 2020 in North America.

Photobiomodulation in this study is utilised by using two devices that are already approved for other indications by the FDA and Health Canada.

Photobiomodulation is a novel clinical application for treating dry AMD. As this is a pilot study there is no placebo or control group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 18
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 1C4
      • Dr Graham Merry
• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37830
      • Dr Robert Dotson

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 50 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients of both genders aged 50 years inclusive and over
• patients must have DRY macular degeneration in the study eye
• best corrected visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/200
• patients must be competent to sign and have signed a consent form before study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

• visually significant cataracts
• presence of a visually significant posterior capsule if prior cataract has been performed
• any visually significant disease process in any ocular structure that would affect vision unrelated to macular degeneration
• a patient can be enrolled if only one of their eyes meets the criteria
• patients with severe clinically significant medical disease or unstable medical conditions including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, neurological, endocrine, gastrointestinal, CNS or life threatening disease or current malignancy at the discretion of the investigators
• patients who are non-ambulatory or bed ridden
• female patients who are pregnant or of childbearing potential as the effects of PBM on the developing fetus are unknown
• patients with a history of epilepsy
• patients with a history of alcohol, drug or substance abuse in the past 6 months
• patients deemed uncooperative or non compliant with the requirements of the protocol
• patients who have received any investigational drug or treatment within 30 days prior to study entry
• patients who are not competent to understand and sign consent form

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change in ETDRS Visual Acuity	prior to intervention and 3 monthly intervals to 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
change in contrast sensitivity	prior to intervention and 3 monthly to 1 year
changes in retinal function parameters from Nidek MP1 assessment	prior to intervention and 3 monthly to 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Merry, Graham, M.D.
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Graham F Merry, MBBS; LMCC, Dr. Graham Merry; Principal Investigator: Robert Dotson, M.D., Dr. Robert Dotson

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 15, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): July 16, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 18, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 16, 2011
• Last Verified: November 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: photobiomodulation; ARMD; eye disease; macular; dry AMD; light treatment; ageing eye disease
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Eye Diseases; Retinal Degeneration; Retinal Diseases; Macular Degeneration
• Other Study ID Numbers: TOPRPA 08001