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Protocol Details

A Pilot Study for the Evaluation of Minocycline as a Microglia Inhibitor in the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema

This study is NOT currently recruiting participants.

Summary | Eligibility | Citations | Contacts

Summary

Number

10-EI-0098

Sponsoring Institute

National Eye Institute (NEI)

Recruitment Detail

Type: No longer recruiting/follow-up only
Gender: Male & Female
Min Age: 18
Max Age: N/A

Referral Letter Required

No

Population Exclusion(s)

Children

Special Instructions

Currently Not Provided

Keywords

Diabetic Macular Edema;
Microglia;
Minocycline

Recruitment Keyword(s)

Diabetic Macular Edema;
Diabetes

Condition(s)

Diabetic Macular Edema

Investigational Drug(s)

Minocycline

Investigational Device(s)

None

Intervention(s)

Drug: Minocycline

Supporting Site

National Eye Institute

Background:

- Diabetic retinopathy, or damage to the small blood vessels at the back of the eye, is a frequent complication of diabetes, and is a leading cause of blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can lead to swelling within the eye, known as diabetic macular edema which causes vision loss.

- Chronic inflammation has been implicated in diabetic macular edema. Microglia are cells in the retina involved in inflammation in the retina. For these reasons, microglia represent a promising cellular target for forms of therapy that limit the harmful inflammatory changes found in diabetic retinopathy. Minocycline, a drug that is currently approved for use as an antibiotic, may be able to inhibit microglia and thus reduce their contribution to chronic inflammation. Researchers are interested in examining whether minocycline may be used to treat or slow the progress of diabetic macular edema.

Objectives:

- To test the safety and effectiveness of minocycline as a treatment for diabetic macular edema.

Eligibility:

- Individuals at least 18 years of age who have well-controlled diabetes and have diabetic macular edema in at least one eye.

Design:

- This study will last 2 years and require at least 14 visits to the National Eye Institute outpatient clinic. Study visits will be every month for the first 2 months and then every other month. Each visit will take about 2 to 4 hours.

- Participants will take minocycline tablets twice daily for 24 months.

- During each study visit, participants will have full eye examinations to measure visual activity, retinal thickness, and blood flow to the eye. Participants will also have regular blood tests, including blood sugar tests.

- Patients enrolled will have been previously treated with focal laser, or not amenable to focal laser treatment. At the Month 6, Month 12 and Month 18 visits, participants will be offered laser treatment if they are eligible, unless they have shown significant improvement in retinal thickness or visual acuity.

- After the end of the study, follow-up care will be arranged with an outside ophthalmologist.

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Eligibility

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

To be eligible, the following participant-level inclusion criteria must be met, where applicable.

1. Participant is 18 years of age or older.

2. Participant must understand and sign the protocol's informed consent document.

3. Female participants of childbearing potential must not be pregnant or breast-feeding, must have a negative urine pregnancy test within 24 hours prior to initiation of study medication and must be willing to undergo urine pregnancy tests throughout the study.

4. Female participants of childbearing potential and male participants able to father children must have (or have a partner who has) had a hysterectomy or vasectomy, be completely abstinent from intercourse or must agree to practice two acceptable methods of contraception throughout the course of the study and for 1 week after study medication discontinuation (based on the half life of minocycline which is 11-22 hours). Acceptable methods of contraception include:

a. hormonal contraception (i.e., birth control pills*, injected hormones, dermal patch or vaginal ring),

b. intrauterine device,

c. barrier methods (diaphragm, condom) with spermicide, or

d. surgical sterilization (hysterectomy or tubal ligation).

*Oral birth control pills must be used with caution as minocycline decreases the effectiveness of some oral contraceptives. Participants already taking oral contraceptives may continue to use them, but must agree to use at least one other method of birth control while on study.

5. Participants must agree to notify the study investigator or coordinator if any of their doctors initiate a new medication during the course of this study.

6. Participant must have normal renal function and liver function as demonstrated by the Chemistry 20 panel, or have mild abnormalities no greater than grade 1 as defined by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0 (CTCAE).

7. Participant has a diagnosis of diabetic mellitus (type 1 or type 2). Any one of the following will be considered to be sufficient evidence that diabetes is present:

a. Current regular use of insulin for the treatment of diabetes

b. Current regular use of oral anti-hyperglycemia agents for the treatment of diabetes

c. Documented diabetes by ADA and/or WHO criteria

8. Participant has documented hemoglobin A1C 12% or less within one month of baseline.

9. Participant must agree to minimize exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) if s/he must be out in the sun.

10. Participant has at least one eye that meets the study eye criteria listed in Study Eye Criteria.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

A participant is not eligible if any of the following exclusion criteria are present.

1. Participant is in another investigational study and actively receiving study therapy.

2. Participant is unable to comply with study procedures or follow-up visits.

3. Participant has a known hypersensitivity to sodium fluorescein dye. 4. Participant has a condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude participation in the study (e.g., unstable medical status including blood pressure and glycemic control).

a. Patients in poor glycemic control who, within the last four months, initiated intensive insulin treatment (a pump or multiple daily injections) or plan to do so in the next four months should not be enrolled.

5. Participant has a history of chronic renal failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplant.

6. Participant has a history of hepatitis or liver failure.

7. Participant has an allergy or hypersensitivity to minocycline or any drug in the tetracycline family.

8. Participant is taking any medication that could adversely interact with minocycline such as methoxyflurane.

9. Participant has a blood pressure of > 180/110 (systolic above 180 OR diastolic above 110).

a. If blood pressure is brought below 180/110 by anti-hypertensive treatment, patient can become eligible.

10. Participant has a history of treatment with systemic anti-VEGF agents or steroids within three months prior to study entry.

11. Participant has a history of thyroid cancer.

STUDY EYE CRITERIA:

The participant must have at least one eye meeting all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria listed below.

STUDY EYE INCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Best-corrected ETDRS visual acuity score between 78 and 39 letters (i.e., between 20/32 and 20/200)

2. Definite retinal thickening due to diabetic macular edema based on clinical exam involving the center of the macula that is not refractory to further therapy as based on the investigator's clinical judgment

3. Previous treatment with focal laser photocoagulation following standard-of-care/best practice guidelines, as described by the ETDRS study,6 greater than or equal to 3 months prior to enrollment unless the edema is not responsive to previous laser and/or not amenable to safe laser treatment at the discretion of the investigator. The laser treatment may be performed at the NEI clinical center or by an outside ophthalmologist at the discretion of the participant and the investigator.

4. Retinal thickness in the central subfield on baseline OCT measurement > 250 microns, as measured by Spectral OCT

5. Media clarity, pupillary dilation and patient cooperation sufficient for adequate fundus photographs

STUDY EYE EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Macular edema is considered to be due to a cause other than diabetic macular edema.

An eye should not be considered eligible if:

a. The macular edema is considered to be related to cataract extraction or

b. Clinical exam and/or OCT suggest that vitreoretinal interface disease (e.g., a taut posterior hyaloid or epiretinal membrane) is the primary cause of the macular edema

2. An ocular condition is present such that, in the opinion of the investigator, visual acuity would not improve from resolution of macular edema (e.g., foveal atrophy, pigmentary changes, dense subfoveal hard exudates, non-retinal condition)

3. An ocular condition is present (other than diabetic retinopathy) that, in the opinion of the investigator, might affect macular edema or alter visual acuity during the course of the study (e.g., vein occlusion, uveitis or other ocular inflammatory disease, neovascular glaucoma, Irvine-Gass Syndrome, etc.)

4. Substantial cataract that, in the opinion of the investigator, is likely to be decreasing visual acuity by three lines or more (i.e., cataract would be reducing acuity to 20/40 or worse if eye was otherwise normal)

5. History of panretinal scatter photocoagulation (PRP) within four months prior to study entry

6. History of prior pars plana vitrectomy within six months prior to study entry

7. History of major ocular surgery (including cataract extraction, scleral buckle, any intraocular surgery, etc.) within three months prior to study entry

8. History of YAG capsulotomy performed within two months prior to study entry

9. History of treatment within three months prior to enrollment with any drug that has not received regulatory approval at the time of study entry, such as intravitreal or periocular steroids or intravitreal anti-VEGF agents

CHOICE OF STUDY EYE IN CASES OF BILATERAL DISEASE:

If both eyes of a participant meet the criteria described in the Study Eye Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria, the following will be used to determine the study eye:

1. If one eye is treatment-na ve and the other is not, the treatment-na ve eye will be chosen as the study eye.

2. If both eyes are treatment-na ve, the eye with the better visual acuity will be chosen as the study eye.

3. If both eyes are treatment-na ve and are equivalent, the choice of study eye will be determined at the investigator's discretion after consultation with the participant.

4. If both eyes have been previously treated, the choice of study eye will be determined at the investigator's discretion after consultation with the participant.


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Citations:

Kempen JH, O'Colmain BJ, Leske MC, Haffner SM, Klein R, Moss SE, Taylor HR, Hamman RF; Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among adults in the United States. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Apr;122(4):552-63.

Klein R, Klein BE, Moss SE, Davis MD, DeMets DL. The Wisconsin epidemiologic study of diabetic retinopathy. IV. Diabetic macular edema. Ophthalmology. 1984 Dec;91(12):1464-74.

Ferris FL 3rd, Patz A. Macular edema: a major complication of diabetic retinopathy. Trans New Orleans Acad Ophthalmol. 1983;31:307-16.

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Contacts:

Principal Investigator

Referral Contact

For more information:

Catherine A. Cukras, M.D.
National Eye Institute (NEI)
National Institutes of Health
Building 10
Room 3-2531
10 Center Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
(301) 496-9058
cukrasc@mail.nih.gov

Meg (Margaret) E. Gordon, R.N.
National Eye Institute (NEI)
National Institutes of Health
Building 10
Room 10D45
10 Center Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
(301) 435-1833
meg.gordon@nih.gov

Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office
Building 61
10 Cloister Court
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4754
Toll Free: 1-800-411-1222
TTY: 301-594-9774 (local),1-866-411-1010 (toll free)
Fax: 301-480-9793

prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov

Clinical Trials Number:

NCT01120899

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