Effect of Metformin on Visual Function in Patients With Glaucoma

Effect of Metformin on Visual Function in Patients With Primary Open Angle Glaucoma: A Randomized Control Study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Metformin could prevent the progression of glaucoma in a safe and effective manner.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Metformin; Drug: Placebos

Detailed Description

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a serious blinding disease characterized by irreversible damage to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). At present, there is no effective treatment for the rescue of visual function loss caused by POAG.

Metformin is the classic first-line therapy for diabetes. Recently, it has been found that Metformin may have other beneficial effects such as promoting weight loss and reversing age-related neurodegeneration. Importantly, retrospective case-control studies found that there were associations between Metformin treatment and a reduction in the incidence of glaucoma. Specifically, diabetic patients treated by Metformin had a 25% lower risk to develop open-angle glaucoma. In addition, previous animal experiments have preliminarily shown that Metformin can play a neuroprotective role by activating AMPK kinase, regulating methylation levels and promoting ganglion cell survival. Therefore, the investigators hypothesize that Metformin can prevent visual function deterioration via rescuing retinal ganglion cells.

The main objective of this study is to assess the progression of visual field loss in patients with POAG after treatment with Metformin versus placebo. The secondary objectives include the followings: RNFL thickness, vision, cup/disk ratio, safety, and biochemical tests to determine the alteration of AMPK and methylation parameters associated to the use of Metformin.

Approximately 40 study subjects will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to each treatment group. The treatment group will be assigned to the study intervention (oral Metformin) for 12 months while the placebo group will receive placebo containing fructose and starch for 12 months. Throughout the 12-month study period, progression of visual function and systematic safety examinations will be measured. At 18 months, there will be one additional follow up visit.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Xialin Liu, Prof.; Phone Number: (020)66610720; Email: liuxialin@gzzoc.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Tian Zhou, Dr; Phone Number: (020)66610720; Email: zhoutian@gzzoc.com

Study Locations

• China
  • Guangdong
    • Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510000
      • Recruiting
      • Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center
      • Contact: Tian Zhou, phD; Email: zhoutian@gzzoc.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 18-65 years old;
• The baseline value of intraocular pressure ≤ 21 mmHg in either eye whether untreated or treated by ≤ 2 eye drops (laser or filtering surgery should be performed over 3 months).
• Over two times of experience of visual field examination (24-2 or 30-2 visual field examinations) in the past two years, or false positive/false negative ratio less than 33%;
• Diagnosed POAG by Glaucoma specialists from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center with open angle, and impairment in optic disc or visual field in one or both eyes.
• Patient is at risk of glaucomatous progression, as determined by the documented presence of optic disc hemorrhage within 12 months in either eye, OR ≥2 of the following risk factors:
• Vertical cup-to-disc ratio >0.8 in one or both eyes
• Mean deviation in visual field worse than <10 dB in either eye (verified by the reading center)
• Pseudoexfoliation in either eye
• Family history (parent or sibling) of glaucoma
• Hypertension
• Systemic hypertension requiring medical treatment Migraine (defined by the International Headache Society with or without aura, Raynaud's syndrome, or both:

• The main organs are functioning normally and meet the following criteria:

  1. Blood sample should meet the following criteria: (no blood transfusion within 14 days) A. Hemoglobin (> 90g/L); B. Platelet count (>105*10e9/L)
  2. Biochemical and urinary examinations should meet the following criteria:
  1. . Urine bilirubin < 1.25 times ULN (Upper Limit of Normal);
  2. . ALT and AST < 2.5 times ULN;
  3. . CREA ≤ ULN;

Exclusion criteria:

• Secondary open-angle glaucoma (such as pigmentation syndrome, trauma, etc.) or angle-closure glaucoma.
• The best corrected visual acuity of either eye is less than 6/36;
• The mean derivation of visual field in either eye is less than - 22dB.
• Use of >2 topical (or any oral) IOP-lowering products at the baseline visit.
• Any ocular pathology in either eye that may have interfered with the ability to obtain visual field, disc imaging, or accurate IOP readings such as uveitis, refractive opacification;
• Eye drops such as neuroprotective therapies have been used in the past three weeks might affect this clinical study, for inclusion need 8 weeks of wash period.
• Pregnant or nursing women;
• Diabetes mellitus, definite impairment of liver and kidney function, or severe heart, liver or kidney diseases;
• In the last three months, ophthalmic surgery (including cataract surgery) has been performed
• Enrolled in other clinical study at the same time.
• Could not complete the study according to the requirements in this research .
• History of epilepsy or severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Metformin; Participants will receive Metformin for 12 months.	Drug: Metformin; Participants will receive Metformin at 1000mg for 12 months.; Other Names: Glucophage
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Participants will receive placebo for 12 months.	Drug: Placebos; Placebo group will take Placebo at 1000mg for 12 months.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual field	to measure the change in visual field loss	0 months, 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)	to measure the change in visual acuity	0 months, 6 months, 12 months
Changes in retinal RNFL thickness	to meausre the thickness of retinal RNFL by OCT	0 months, 6 months, 12 months
Changes in retinal cup/disk ratio	to measure the alterations in retina cup/disk ratio	0 months, 6 months, 12 months
Systemic safety as measured by presence of side effects listed on Metformin drug label as "severe"	These include: Infrequent side effects of Metformin (severe):Dyspnea; Rare side effects of Metformin (severe):Lactic acidosis; Hypoglycemia; Megaloblastic Anemia; Allergic reactions. The participants will be assessed for these side-effects at each follow-up ocular exam to confirm ocular and systematic safety of Metformin. Blood samples will be collected at 0 month, 6 months, and 12 months to value AMPK, methylation level and inflammatory responses. The Data Monitoring Committee for this study will also assess the safety of Metformin at different time points throughout the study.	0 months, 6 months, 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Xialin Liu, Prof., Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University; Principal Investigator: Xing Liu, Prof., Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 10, 2019
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): May 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): May 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 4, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): November 7, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 11, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 10, 2022
• Last Verified: February 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Metformin; Primary Open Angle Glaucoma; Visual function
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Eye Diseases; Ocular Hypertension; Glaucoma; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Hypoglycemic Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Metformin
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2019KYPJ130

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