12 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
ATLAS study is a clinical trial to evaluate the potential role of subcutaneous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) gel in the management of non-infectious scleritis. Specifically, the ATLAS Study aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability and effect of 2 different dose regimens of ACTH gel administered by subcutaneous (SC) injection in patients with scleritis, over a period of 12 months. Scleritis is an inflammatory disease affecting the sclera (white outer coating of the eye), which causes blurring of vision, redness, tearing and painful ocular inflammatory episodes in one or both eyes. Scleritis may results in vision threatening ocular complications, if left untreated. Treatment of scleritis is usually chronic and requires systemic therapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy. Due to its treatment resistance nature, scleritis remains a therapeutic challenge for many ophthalmologists. H.P. Acthar Gel (ACTH Gel) is a highly purified preparation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in a gel that is designed to provide extended release of the ACTH following injection. It is a FDA approved treatment for flares or on a regular basis (maintenance) in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), infantile spasms, adults with acute relapses or flares of multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with kidney diseases, among other indications. ACTH Gel is also approved for a wide range of allergic and inflammatory diseases of the eye. Given the established role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of scleritis and the anti-inflammatory effects of ACTH Gel treatment by blocking various inflammatory pathways, a beneficial outcome could be anticipated from ACTH Gel treatment in patients with scleritis.
Background: - Scleritis is the inflammation of the white outer coating of the eye, known as the sclera. In severe cases, it can cause blindness. It is commonly associated with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. Mild scleritis can be treated with drugs such as ibuprofen. More severe scleritis may need oral steroids or immunosuppressive treatments; however, these treatments can cause side effects in the whole body. Gevokizumab is a newer anti-inflammatory drug that is under investigation to treat other inflammatory diseases. It may not have as severe side effects as some other drugs. However, it has not yet been used to treat scleritis. Researchers want to see if it can be given as a safe and effective treatment for scleritis. Objectives: - To see if gevokizumab is a safe and effective treatment for scleritis. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have active scleritis. Design: * There is an initial phase and a two-part extension phase in this study. The extension phase is optional. The initial phase of the study requires seven visits to the National Eye Institute (NEI). * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and eye exam, and medical history will be obtained. Blood and urine samples will be collected. * Eligible participants will receive an injection of 60 mg of gevokizumab at the first study visit and at Weeks 4, 8, and 12. They will be given under the skin by the stomach, or in the upper arm or thigh. * Participants will have additional visits after the first study visit at Weeks 2, 16, and 28. No injection will be given at these visits. Eye exams will be done, and blood and tear samples will be collected. * If the scleritis improves by Week 16, participants may choose to continue the study in the extension phase. In the 1st extension, they will have a visit every 4 weeks until Week 36 and then two additional monitoring visits at Weeks 40 and 52 for a total of 13 study visits. * Participants who are eligible at Week 52 may continue in the "as needed" (PRN) extension phase (2nd extension) and receive gevokizumab injections (60 mg) at Weeks 52, 54, 58 and 62.
Background: Autoimmune scleritis is an inflammatory disease that affects the white outer part of the eye. It is associated with immune system disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. It can cause blindness in severe cases. Most treatments for scleritis involve steroid or immune-suppressing drugs, but these can cause side effects in the whole body. Sirolimus is a drug used to help prevent transplant rejection. It helps prevent the immune system from attacking the body. Researchers want to try giving sirolimus injections into the eye to treat severe scleritis. Objectives: To see if sirolimus is a safe and effective treatment for autoimmune scleritis. Eligibility: Individuals at least 18 years of age with autoimmune scleritis in at least one eye that has not responded to standard treatments. Design: * Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and eye exam. Blood and urine samples will also be collected. * One eye will be selected as the study eye to receive injections. * Participants will have six study visits over 4 months (initial visit and weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16). The injection will be given at the first visit. If the study eye responds to the treatment, participants may have injections in the other eye at the second visit. * If there is still inflammation after the first injection, or if the scleritis improves but then returns, participants may have a second injection at Week 4. * Injections will be monitored with blood tests and eye exams. * Participants may have study visits and injections for up to 1 year if the injections seem to be working.
This is an initial clinical trial evaluating whether different doses of iontophoresis for delivery of dexamethasone phosphate can be tolerated by eyes of patients with non-infections, non-necrotizing scleritis. A secondary goal is to get preliminary information about whether the treatment is likely to be an effective treatment for scleritis. If the results are favorable, further trials evaluating the treatment may be pursued. Funding sources: FDA OOPD, Eyegate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of Rituximab in refractory scleritis and non-infectious orbital inflammation.
This small, preliminary study will examine whether multiple infusions of infliximab (Remicade® (Registered Trademark)) can control inflammation in patients with active scleritis. The sclera is the tough white outer coat enclosing the eyeball. Infliximab is a combination of part human and part mouse proteins that block a natural body protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF appears to be involved in scleritis, and stopping its action may help reduce the inflammation in the disease. The drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients 18 years of age or older with active non-infectious scleritis may be eligible for this study. Participants will undergo the following tests and procedures: * Medical history and physical examination. * Eye examination, including a vision test and examination of the retina (back part of the eye) and of the sclera and its blood vessels. * Questionnaire about vision and daily activities. * Tuberculin skin test. * Pregnancy test: Women who can have children are tested for pregnancy at study weeks 0, 14, 30, 38, and 46. * Infliximab treatment: Infliximab is infused over a 2-hour period through a needle in a vein, usually in the arm. The patient's vital signs are checked before the patient begins each infusion starts and again before leaving the clinic. After the first two infusions, if the disease remains quiet, other scleritis medications will be attempted to be reduced to half the original dose over 8 to 12 weeks and possibly to nothing if the patient continues to do well. Patients receive a maximum of 9 infusions over a 30-week period. * Blood draws: About 4 tablespoons of blood are drawn at each visit to test for the number and types of cells in the blood and to check for signs of inflammation and side effects of the study medicine. Patients are seen in the NEI clinic for infusions and to check the response to therapy. This includes 13 clinic visits over 46 weeks, as follows: every 2 weeks for the first 2 weeks, every 4 weeks thereafter for a total of 30 weeks for infusions, and then every 4 weeks for 16 additional weeks. Patients may stop therapy if their scleritis is not controlled 10 weeks into the study period; if they develop a flare of inflammation after initial control of the active scleritis; if their vision loss is too large; or if their medications increase or other medicines are added to control the scleritis. Patients whose vision decreases minimally, stays the same, or improves may remain in the study.
Autoinflammatory diseases (AID) are clinical entities characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks in absence of infection, neoplasm or deregulation of the adaptive immune system. Among them, hereditary periodic syndromes, also known as monogenic AID, represent the prototype of this disease group, caused by mutations in genes involved in the regulation of innate immunity, inflammation and cell death. Based on recent experimental acquisitions in the field of monogenic AID, several immunologic disorders have been reclassified as polygenic/multifactorial AID, sharing pathogenetic and clinical features with hereditary periodic fevers. This has paved the way to new treatment targets for patients suffering from rare diseases of unknown origin, including Behçet's disease, Still disease, Schnitzler's disease, PFAPA (periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis) syndrome, chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO), non-infectious uveitis and scleritis. Gathering information on such rare conditions is made difficult by the small number of patients, along with the difficulty of obtaining an accurate diagnosis in non-specialized clinical settings. In this context, the AIDA project promotes international collaboration among clinical centres to develop a permanent registry aimed at collecting demographic, genetic, clinical and therapeutic data of patients affected by monogenic and polygenic AID, in order to expand the current knowledge of these rare conditions.
The purpose of this project is to quantify normal and abnormal skin blood flow regionally in different areas of the body(face, extremities, over burns and wounds) at baseline and over time in response to treatment or environmental changes, such as temperature, light and pressure.
Non-infectious inflammatory eye disease, such as uveitis and scleritis, is a chronic, auto-immune process that leads to vision loss. While steroids are effective in the short term, the side-effect profile of chronic steroid use necessitates the identification of effective steroid-sparing therapies. Tofacitinib is a small molecule that inhibits the signaling pathways of multiple inflammatory cytokines. The investigators plan to evaluate whether tofacitinib may have efficacy for patients with uveitis and / or scleritis.
Uveitis represents a heterogeneous group of diseases that results from ocular inflammatory reaction involving ocular tissue and vasculature. The inflammation usually causes pain, redness, photophobia and blurred vision. This inflammation, is typically treated with regional or systemic therapy. The regional therapy typically consists of topical corticosteroids or periocular or regional corticosteroids. Regional therapy can lead to a steroid response glaucoma, which is increased intraocular pressure.This pilot study aims to evaluate the possible effectiveness of H.P. Acthar in patients with active ocular inflammatory disease, and currently on treatment for glaucoma or have a history of glaucoma.
This protocol will enable IRB (institutional review board) review of proposed research using human samples and data collected under the terminated NIH studies 04-EI-0065 and 96-EI-0096. Data and samples may include demographic and personal health information, psychological or psychiatric testing, blood, urine, CSF or other body fluids or tissues and results of medical and physiological evaluation and medical imaging. Data and sample analyses are limited to those approved under the original protocols unless additional specific institutional review board approval is obtained.
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.