4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is an autoimmune, scarring conjunctivitis that can lead to vision loss and permanent disability. It is a rare disorder with an estimated incidence of 1 in 60,000. There are currently no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of mucous membrane pemphigoid, highlighting a clear unmet need. At present, moderate to severe disease requires off-label use of potent immunosuppressive agents, such as oral anti-proliferatives (methotrexate, azathioprine, and mycophenolate), rituximab (RTX) or cyclophosphamide (CyC). Recently, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition with baricitinib or tofacitinib been reported to be successful in one case of ocular MMP. This is a randomized, single-masked, two-arm study of baricitinib vs anti-proliferatives for ocular MMP.
Topical steroid therapy is considered the first line of treatment for Oral Inflammatory Ulcerative Diseases with current treatment regimens requiring multiple application or rinses daily. Using Mucolox™ as a vehicle to deliver topical dexamethasone to the oral mucosa has the potential to effectively prolong contact time between the medication. The primary objective of this study is to determine the clinical efficacy and tolerability of compound dexamethasone at 0.5 mg/5 mL in Mucolox™ for the treatment of Oral Inflammatory Ulcerative Diseases as measured by a reduction in oral symptoms between patients treated with compounded dexamethasone 0.5mg/5ml solution in Mucolox™ (group A) and patients treated with topical commercial dexamethasone 0.5mg/5ml solution only (group B). and mucosa, leading to improved clinical outcomes due to the need for less frequent application.
The Boston Keratoprosthesis type I (KPro) is a prosthetic cornea used to treat several causes of corneal blindness. Some categories of patients, including those with auto-immune diseases such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis syndrome and mucous membrane pemphigoid, have a higher risk of failure for the KPro. Because of chronic inflammation, the cornea supporting the KPro may melt, leading to a higher risk of infection, loss of the KPro and loss of the eye. Infliximab is an antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha and is used intravenously to control inflammation in several diseases. It has been used in some cases of corneal melting with significant success. This study's hypothesis is that infliximab can be successfully used as an eye drop (instead of the usual administration through veins) and that its regular use may prevent melt in eyes with a Boston Keratoprosthesis type I and underlying auto-immune disease.
This study will evaluate whether therapy that suppresses the immune system given to treat inflammatory diseases of the eye is associated with a greater risk of death and of cancer. Inflammatory diseases of the eye, including uveitis, scleritis, and mucous membrane pemphigoid, are major blinding diseases. For some patients, treatment with corticosteroids is not enough to control the diseases. Researchers expect to gain information about whether immunosuppressive therapy is suitable for patients and which substances should be avoided. Also, the study will evaluate the frequency of short-term complications with immunosuppressive therapy as well as benefits that the therapy can bring to treatment of eye diseases. The medical charts of patients up to age 65 (median age range of 21 to 65) who have had an inflammatory, noninfectious eye disease may be examined for this study. A database will be constructed through a chart review of patients seen in the uveitis clinic of the National Eye Institute since 1977 and three other sites. Patients who are considered exposed to immunosuppressive therapies will be compared with two groups: the general U.S. population and an internal group of patients with the same inflammatory eye diseases who did not receive immunosuppression. Data regarding about 10,000 to 15,000 patients will be collected. Patients will not be identified by the chart reviews. The incidence of cancer will be examined as well as the outcomes of immosuppressive therapy as measured by control of the eye disease, visual sharpness, changes in the use of corticosteroids, and rates of remission-when disease symptoms are lessened. Also examined will be medical charts of a control group of patients who did not receive immunosuppressive therapy for their uveitis. Data on cancer incidence would be more difficult to obtain, requiring personal contact with patients. In such situations, patients will be contacted by phone or mail, and those providing informed consent will be asked about their medical history, including previous occurrence of cancer and other conditions. For patients who have died, the researchers will attempt to communicate with the next of kin regarding this medical information.