Laser-Ranibizumab-Triamcinolone for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (LRTforDME+PRP)

August 25, 2016 updated by: Jaeb Center for Health Research

Intravitreal Ranibizumab or Triamcinolone Acetonide as Adjunctive Treatment to Panretinal Photocoagulation for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

The purpose of the study is to find out if treatment with an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone or an intravitreal injection of ranibizumab can prevent loss of vision caused by panretinal photocoagulation treatment. At the present time, it is not known whether intravitreal steroid or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections are beneficial in preventing vision loss after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) treatment. It is possible that one or both of the types of injections will prevent vision loss after PRP treatment. However, it is not known whether the benefits of the injections will outweigh the risks. It is possible that because of side effects, the injections may not be as good as laser alone in treating the diabetic retinopathy.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is manifested in retinal neovascularization at the disc (NVD) or elsewhere (NVE). Vitreous hemorrhage or tractional detachment from PDR is a leading cause of severe visual loss and new onset blindness. Without intervention, 60 percent of individuals with diabetic retinopathy will eventually develop PDR, resulting in significant visual loss in nearly fifty percent.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is currently treated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) which destroys areas of the retina but preserves central vision. PRP is most effectively seen in a regression of new vessels, stabilization of the neovascularization, and reduced risk of visual loss. However, the treatment is associated with unavoidable side effects including macular edema with transient or permanent central vision loss, diminished vision loss, and night vision loss. The treatment applies laser burns to the peripheral retinal tissue, destroying outer photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium of the retina, and is thought to exert its effect by increasing oxygen delivery to the inner retina and decreasing viable hypoxic cells which are producing growth factors such as VEGF. Studies have implicated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as the substance leading to neovascularization and/or increased vascular permeability. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that inhibition of VEGF could reduce both PDR and transient vision loss from macular edema. There are several anti-VEGF drugs. Ranibizumab is the drug to be evaluated in this trial. In one trial of ranibizumab on DME, ten patients with chronic DME received a series of 0.5 mg intraocular injections. The treatments were well tolerated with no ocular or systemic adverse events. Since intraocular injections of ranibizumab significantly reduced foveal thickness and improved visual acuity in all ten patients, there is strong rationale to consider this drug as adjunctive therapy to PRP in a attempt to reduce the acute, transient edema that may occur with PRP.

Similarly, corticosteroids, a class of substances with anti-inflammatory properties, have demonstrated to inhibit the expression of VEGF. Triamcinolone acetonide is often used as a periocular injection for the treatment of cystoid macular edema (CME) secondary to uveitis. Clinically, triamcinolone acetonide is used in the treatment of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and choroidal neovascularization. Studies on patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy randomly assigned to receive 4 mg triamcinolone 10 to 15 days prior to PRP treatment showed a reduction in central macular thickening, and fluorescein leakage was greater in the injection group than in the control group at 9 and 12 months follow up. Mean visual acuity improved by one line in the injection group and worsened by two lines in the control group.

In summary, there is strong rationale that using either intravitreal ranibizumab or intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide as an adjunct to PRP could reduce the magnitude of vision loss.

This study is being conducted to determine whether intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF drug or an intravitreal injection of a corticosteroid can reduce the occurrence of macular edema and visual acuity impairment following PRP. Subjects will be randomly assigned with equal probability to one of the following three injection groups:

  • Intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg ranibizumab (Lucentis™) at baseline and 4 weeks
  • Intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide at baseline and sham injection at 4 weeks
  • Sham injection at baseline and 4 weeks

The initial injection (or sham) is given on the day of randomization. Focal (macular) photocoagulation is given 7 to 10 days following the injection. Panretinal (scatter) photocoagulation can be initiated either on the same day as the focal photocoagulation (immediately following the focal photocoagulation) or on a subsequent day but must be initiated within 14 days of the baseline injection. Required follow-up visits occur at 4, 14, 34 and 56 weeks.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

333

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

    • California
      • Artesia, California, United States, 90701
        • Sall Research Medical Center
      • Beverly Hills, California, United States, 90211
        • Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group
      • Irvine, California, United States, 92697
        • University of California, Irvine
      • Loma Linda, California, United States, 92354
        • Loma Linda University Health Care, Dept. of Ophthalmology
      • Palm Springs, California, United States, 92262
        • Southern California Desert Retina Consultants, MC
      • Santa Barbara, California, United States, 93103
        • California Retina Consultants
      • Walnut Creek, California, United States, 94598
        • Bay Area Retina Associates
    • Colorado
      • Louisville, Colorado, United States, 80027
        • Eldorado Retina Associates, P.C.
    • Florida
      • Fort Myers, Florida, United States, 33912
        • Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida
      • Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States, 33334
        • Retina Vitreous Consultants
      • Lakeland, Florida, United States, 33805
        • Central Florida Retina Institute
    • Georgia
      • Augusta, Georgia, United States, 30909
        • Southeast Retina Center, P.C.
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
        • University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center
      • Joliet, Illinois, United States, 60435
        • Illinois Retina Associates
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46280
        • Raj K. Maturi, M.D., P.C.
      • New Albany, Indiana, United States, 47150
        • John-Kenyon American Eye Institute
    • Iowa
      • Dubuque, Iowa, United States, 52002
        • Medical Associates Clinic, P.C.
    • Kentucky
      • Paducah, Kentucky, United States, 42001
        • Paducah Retinal Center
    • Maine
      • Bangor, Maine, United States, 04401
        • Maine Vitreoretinal Consultants
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21237
        • Elman Retina Group, P.A.
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287-9277
        • Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins
      • Salisbury, Maryland, United States, 21801
        • Retina Consultants of Delmarva, P.A.
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
        • Joslin Diabetes Center
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston
    • Minnesota
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
        • University of Minnesota
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55404
        • Retina Center, PA
    • New Hampshire
      • Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States, 03801
        • Eyesight Ophthalmic Services, PA
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10003
        • The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary/Faculty Eye Practice
      • Syracuse, New York, United States, 13224
        • Retina-Vitreous Surgeons of Central New York, PC
    • North Carolina
      • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599-7040
        • University of North Carolina, Dept of Ophthalmology
      • Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28210
        • Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Assoc., PA
      • Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28211
        • Horizon Eye Care, PA
      • Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, 27157
        • Wake Forest University Eye Center
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
        • Case Western Reserve University
      • Dublin, Ohio, United States, 43017
        • OSU Eye Physicians and Surgeons, LLC.
    • Oregon
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
        • Casey Eye Institute
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97210
        • Retina Northwest, PC
    • Pennsylvania
      • Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, 17033
        • Penn State College of Medicine
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • University of Pennsylvania Scheie Eye Institute
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02903
        • Retina Consultants
    • South Carolina
      • Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29223
        • Carolina Retina Center
      • Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29169
        • Palmetto Retina Center
    • Tennessee
      • Kingsport, Tennessee, United States, 37660
        • Southeastern Retina Associates, PC
      • Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37909
        • Southeastern Retina Associates, P.C.
    • Texas
      • Abilene, Texas, United States, 79605
        • West Texas Retina Consultants P.A.
      • Arlington, Texas, United States, 76012
        • Texas Retina Associates
      • Austin, Texas, United States, 78705
        • Retina Research Center
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75231
        • Texas Retina Associates
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • Vitreoretinal Consultants
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77025
        • Retina and Vitreous of Texas
      • Lubbock, Texas, United States, 79424
        • Texas Retina Associates
      • McAllen, Texas, United States, 78503
        • Valley Retina Institute
      • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78240
        • Retinal Consultants of San Antonio
    • Virginia
      • Leesburg, Virginia, United States, 20176
        • Virginia Retina Center
    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98195
        • University of Washington Medical Center
    • Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53705
        • University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept of Ophthalmology/Retina Service

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

General Inclusion Criteria

  • Age >= 18 years
  • Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2)
  • Fellow eye (if not a study eye) meets criteria.
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent. Study Eye Inclusion Criteria Subjects may have one or two study eyes. Subjects with two study eyes will be randomly assigned to receive sham injection at baseline and 4 weeks in one eye and either ranibizumab or triamcinolone in the other eye.
  • Presence of severe nonproliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy for which investigator intends to complete panretinal photocoagulation within 49 days after randomization.
  • Diabetic macular edema(DME) present on clinical exam and central subfield thickness on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) >250 microns, within 8 days of randomization.
  • Best corrected Electronic-Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity letter score >=24 (i.e., 20/320 or better), within 8 days of randomization.
  • Media clarity, pupillary dilation, and subject cooperation sufficient to administer panretinal photocoagulation and obtain adequate fundus photographs and OCT.
  • If prior macular photocoagulation has been performed, the investigator believes that the study eye may possibly benefit from additional focal photocoagulation.

General Exclusion Criteria

  • Significant renal disease, defined as a history of chronic renal failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplant.
  • A condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude participation in the study (e.g., unstable medical status including blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and glycemic control).
  • Participation in an investigational trial within 30 days of randomization that involved treatment with any drug that has not received regulatory approval at the time of study entry.
  • Known allergy to any component of the study drugs.
  • Blood pressure > 180/110 (systolic above 180 or diastolic above 110).
  • Major surgery within 28 days prior to randomization or major surgery planned during the next 6 months.
  • Myocardial infarction, other cardiac event requiring hospitalization, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or treatment for acute congestive heart failure within 4 months prior to randomization.
  • Systemic anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) or pro-VEGF treatment within 4 months prior to randomization.
  • For women of child-bearing potential: pregnant or lactating or intending to become pregnant within the next 12 months.
  • Subject is expecting to move out of the area of the clinical center to an area not covered by another clinical center during the 12 months of the study.

Study Eye Exclusion Criteria, Study eye only:

  • Prior panretinal photocoagulation that was sufficiently extensive that the investigator does not believe that at least 1200 additional burns are needed or possible within 49 days after randomization.
  • Macular edema is considered to be due to a cause other than diabetic macular edema.
  • An ocular condition is present such that, in the opinion of the investigator, preventing visual acuity loss would not improve from resolution of macular edema (e.g., foveal atrophy, pigment abnormalities, dense subfoveal hard exudates, non-retinal condition).
  • An ocular condition is present (other than diabetes) that, in the opinion of the investigator, might affect macular edema or alter visual acuity during the course of the study (e.g., retinal vein or artery occlusion, uveitis or other ocular inflammatory disease, neovascular glaucoma, etc.).
  • Substantial cataract that, in the opinion of the investigator, is likely to be decreasing visual acuity by 3 lines or more (i.e., cataract would be reducing acuity to 20/40 or worse if eye was otherwise normal).
  • History of treatment for DME at any time in the past 4 months (such as focal/grid macular photocoagulation, intravitreal or peribulbar corticosteroids, anti-VEGF drugs, or any other treatment).
  • History of major ocular surgery (including vitrectomy, cataract extraction, scleral buckle, any intraocular surgery, etc.) within prior 4 months or anticipated within the next 6 months following randomization.
  • History of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet capsulotomy performed within 2 months prior to randomization.
  • Aphakia.
  • Intraocular pressure >= 25 mmHg.
  • History of open-angle glaucoma (either primary open-angle glaucoma or other cause of open-angle glaucoma; note: angle-closure glaucoma is not an exclusion criterion).
  • History of steroid-induced intraocular pressure elevation that required intraocular pressure-lowering treatment.
  • History of prior herpetic ocular infection.
  • Exam evidence of ocular toxoplasmosis.
  • Exam evidence of pseudoexfoliation.
  • Exam evidence of external ocular infection, including conjunctivitis, chalazion, or significant blepharitis.

Fellow Eye Criteria

  • Intraocular pressure < 25 mmHg.
  • No history of open-angle glaucoma (either primary open-angle glaucoma or other cause of open-angle glaucoma; note: angle-closure glaucoma is not an exclusion criterion).
  • No history of steroid-induced intraocular pressure elevation that required intraocular pressure-lowering treatment.
  • No exam evidence of pseudoexfoliation.

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sham injection plus laser
Sham injection at baseline and 4 weeks. Focal/grid laser for diabetic macular edema was performed 3 days to 10 days after the injection for all treatment groups.
Sham injection at baseline and 4 weeks
Focal/grid laser for diabetic macular edema was performed 3 days to 10 days after the injection for all treatment groups.
Experimental: 0.5mg Ranibizumab plus laser
Intravitreal injections of 0.5mg Ranibizumab at baseline and at 4 weeks. Focal/grid laser for diabetic macular edema was performed 3 days to 10 days after the injection for all treatment groups.
Focal/grid laser for diabetic macular edema was performed 3 days to 10 days after the injection for all treatment groups.
Intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg ranibizumab at baseline and 4 weeks
Other Names:
  • Lucentis™
Active Comparator: 4-mg Triamcinolone Acetonide plus Laser
4-mg Triamcinolone Acetonide at baseline and sham injection at 4 weeks. Focal/grid laser for diabetic macular edema was performed 3 days to 10 days after the injection for all treatment groups.
Focal/grid laser for diabetic macular edema was performed 3 days to 10 days after the injection for all treatment groups.
Intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide at baseline and sham injection at 4 weeks
Other Names:
  • corticosteroid

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Electronic Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Visual Acuity Letter Score From Baseline to 14 Weeks
Time Frame: baseline to 14 weeks
Visual Acuity was measured with the Electronic Early Treatment Study (E-ETDRS) visual acuity test. Unit of measure is based on the E-ETDRS letter score scale, 0-97, where 0 = worst and 97 = best.
baseline to 14 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Additional Treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema
Time Frame: 14 weeks to 56-weeks
Each combination of treatment is only counted once per treatment eye. Participants could have 2 study eyes, with random assignments to different treatments.
14 weeks to 56-weeks
Change in Optical Coherence Tomography Central Subfield Thickness
Time Frame: Baseline to 14 weeks
Baseline to 14 weeks
Total Optical Coherence Tomography Retinal Volume
Time Frame: Baseline to 14-weeks
Missing/ungradable as follows: Sham = 49, Ranibizumab = 37, Triamcinolone = 39. Visits occured between 70 days and 153 days from randomization adjusted for baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal volume, OCT retinal thickness and visual acuity, number of planned panretinal photocoagulation sittings, and correlation between 2 study eyes. Confidence intervals are adjusted for multiple comparisons.
Baseline to 14-weeks
Change in Visual Acuity From Baseline
Time Frame: baseline to 56-weeks
Visual Acuity was measured with the Electronic Early Treatment Study (E-ETDRS) visual acuity test. Unit of measure is based on the E-ETDRS letter score scale, 0-97, where 0 = worst and 97 = best.
baseline to 56-weeks
Eyes With Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema
Time Frame: 14 weeks to 56-weeks
14 weeks to 56-weeks
Number of Eyes With Additional Number of Treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema
Time Frame: 14 weeks to 56-weeks
Treatments include any type or combination of treatment for diabetic macular edema. Eyes were only counted once, when receiving a combination of treatments.
14 weeks to 56-weeks
Change in Optical Coherence Tomography Retinal Volume
Time Frame: Baseline to 14 weeks
Missing or un-gradable data as follows for the sham plus focal/grid/panretinal photocoagulation laser, triamcinolone plus focal/grid panretinal photocoagulation laser, and Ranibizumab groups were 49, 37, and 39, respectively
Baseline to 14 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Joseph Googe, Jr., M.D., Southeastern Retina Associates, P.C.

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

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

March 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 6, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 6, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

March 8, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

August 26, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 25, 2016

Last Verified

August 1, 2016

More Information

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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