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Pilot and Phase 2 Study of the Efficacy of a Treatment Protocol With Dexamethasone Implant Loading Dose in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema (LOADEX)

Pilot and Phase 2 Study of the Efficacy of a Treatment Protocol With Dexamethasone Implant Loading Dose in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04116398
Acronym
LOADEX
Enrollment
53
Registered
2019-10-04
Start date
2020-11-30
Completion date
2026-09-03
Last updated
2026-09-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Diabetic Macular Edema

Keywords

dexamethasone,, loading dose,, diabetic macular edema, pseudophakic

Brief summary

Nowadays, steroids and anti-VEGF are the first line treatment for diabetic macular edema. Ozurdex is the most frequently used steroid and has label for both first and second line treatment. Ozurdex treatment paradigm for patients with diabetic macular edema is to inject patient only in case of huge recurrence. The risk of this scheme is a progressive loss of vision due to photoreceptors loss. A more pro-active regimen, as it already exists for anti-VEGF treatment, would allow a better patient management. A new treatment paradigm consisting in a loading dose of 2 injections within 12 weeks, followed by a PRN (Pro Re Nata) regimen with strict retreatment criteria and minimal time limit of 12 weeks between two injections should result in a better visual acuity gain and a limited augmentation of the number of injections (which will remain lower than the number observed for anti-VEGF treatment). The investigators have therefore chosen a pilot study to investigate the impact on efficacy and on the number of intravitreal injections (IVI) of such a scheme.

Interventions

DRUGDexamethasone with 2 loading doses followed by PRN regimen.

* Loading dose with 2 systematic intravitreal injections (IVI) of ozurdex at the baseline and 12 weeks.Followed by a PRN regimen with strict retreatment criteria (already used and published in the Prediamex study, Bellocq,Kodjikian et al Ophthalmology Retina 2017) * Retreatment criteria: Reduction in VA ≥ 5 ETDRS Letters; and/or CSMT ≥ 275 microns by OCT-Cirrus® or ≥ 285 microns by OCT Spectralis®/Topcon; and/or increase of CSMT \> 50 microns; and/or onset of recurrent retinal cysts; and/or residual edema considered by the practitioner to be clinically significant. * Minimal time limit between two IVI : 12 weeks * Visits: monthly during 1 year (to check efficacy and safety) and then for the 2nd-year only at Month18 (M18) and Month 24 (M24)

Sponsors

Hospices Civils de Lyon
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient \> 40 years old * Patients with a significant DME : Macular thickening secondary to DME involving the center of the fovea, as measured by SD-OCT, with Central Subfield Thickness (CST) ≥ 285 μm measured on Spectralis/topcon or ≥ 275 μm, as measured on Cirrus, at screening and VA between 20/32 and 20/320 (between 23 and 78 letters ETDRS) using the ETDRS protocol at the initial testing distance of 4 meters at inclusion * Patient for which a dexamethasone implant is chosen * 100% naive eyes (no history of steroids or anti-VEGF) * Pseudophakic for at least 3 months * HBA1c \< 10% * Blood pressure \< 160/95 * Patient who give voluntary signed informed consent * Patient affiliated with the French universal health care system or similar * Patient able to participated in all visits and medical examinations during the study * If both eyes have to be treated, only one eye will be included : the eye with the lowest visual acuity at the baseline

Exclusion criteria

* Aphatic eye without posterior lens capsule. * Study eye with implant anterior chamber of the eye or intraocular implant with iris fixated or transsclerally or ruptured posterior lens capsule. * Study eye with lens implant ARTISAN® * Ocular or periocular infection active or suspected in the study eye including most viral diseases of the cornea and conjunctiva, epithelial keratitis active Herpes simplex (dendritic keratitis), vaccinia, chickenpox, mycobacterial infections and mycoses * At inclusion, delay after cataract surgery \< 3 months in the study eye * Delay after last session of panretineal Photocoagulation laser \< 1 month in the study eye * Delay after last focal laser session of the posterior pole \< 1 month in the study eye * Vitreomacular traction syndrome, associated ERM in the study eye * History of macular grid laser in the study eye * Focal laser only if the scars are located within 750 microns of the center (1/2 Papillary Diameter) in the study eye * Ischemic maculopathy (increase of more than 2 times the surface of the central avascular zone) * Proliferative diabetic Retinopathy in the study eye * Hypertension or Open Angle Glaucoma (OAG) treated by dual therapy eye drops or more * Patients with a systemic pathology that could interfere in the evolution of the Diabetic Macular Edema and treated by with immunosuppressive drugs, systemic steroids, anti-aldosterone or systemic anti-VEGF. * Patients with systemic treatment with a toxic effect on the lens, retina or optic nerve: deferoxime, chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine, tamoxifen, phenothiazines and ethambutol; in progress or within 6 months of inclusion * Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients and to anesthetic or hypotonizing eye drops * History of any pathology, metabolic disease, or any serious suspicion of disease at clinical or laboratory examination that contraindicates the use of the intra-retinal dexamethasone implant, could affect the interpretation of the results of the study or cause significant risks of complication for the subject * Infectious conjunctivitis and/or active or suspected appendix infection * Any eye condition or condition that the investigator believes may require intraocular surgery within 12 months * Eye contralateral that studied with visual acuity \< 23 letters * Pregnant and breastfeeding woman * Female of reproductive age, sexually active, who does not want to commit to using adequate and highly effective contraception during the study and up to 6 months after the last administration of the study treatment: * Combined hormonal contraception (containing estrogens and progestins) aimed at inhibiting ovulation (oral, intravaginal or transdermal); * Hormonal contraception containing only a progestin intended to inhibit ovulation (oral, injectable or implantable); * Intrauterine device (IUD); * Intrauterine Hormone Release System (IUS); * Ovariectomy with hysterectomy, bilateral tubal obstruction or total hysterectomy for at least 6 weeks before inclusion (for women included) or vasectomy for at least 6 months before inclusion (for partners of a patient included); * Sexual abstinence. A woman will be considered to be of childbearing age from her first period and until the menopause, unless she is sterile or has had an oophorectomy type surgery with hysterectomy, bilateral tubal obstruction or hysterectomy total at least 6 weeks before inclusion. A post-menopausal state is defined as the absence of spontaneous menstruation (that is to say without any other medical treatment, in particular of the hormonal contraceptive type or hormone replacement therapy) for 12 months * Major patient protected under the terms of the law (Public Health Code) * Patient's ongoing participation in another interventional clinical trial (study eye and/or untreated eye) * Follow-up impossible for 24 months, the judgment of the investigator.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Maximum BCVA (Best Corrected Visual Acuity) change (best improvement) from baseline (during one year of treatment)52 weeksBest Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) is measured on the ETDRS scale at an initial distance of 4 meters.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The time required to obtain the best BCVA52 weeksaverage, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum
The number of injections required to obtain the best BCVA52 weeksaverage, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum
the maximum best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change (best improvement) measured on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) scalebetween the baseline and 1,5 years and between the baseline and 2 yearsBest Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) is measured on the ETDRS scale at an initial distance of 4 meters.
values of Visual Acuity (VA) at each visitall visits during 2 years
Area under the curve (AUC) of VAbetween the baseline and 52 weeks and between the baseline and 2 yearsAUC calculated with the values of VA at each visit
Description of Visual acuity (VA)Baseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVAcategorized change of VA (\>=+15 ; +10 -\> +15 ; +5 -\> +10 ; -5 -\> +5 (stable) ; -5 -\> -10 ; -10 -\> -15 ; \> -15)
Number of IVI1 year
OCT parameters: Central Subfield Mean Thickness (CSMT)Baseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVAaverage, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum
OCT parameters: Central Fovea ThicknessBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVAaverage, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum
OCT parameters : presence of interruptions of the ellipsoid lineBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of continuous external limiting membraneBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of disorganization of the internal retinal layersBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of intraretinal cystsBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of vitreomacular tractionBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtain the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of epiretinal membraneBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of macular exudatesBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : persistance of foveolar depressionBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 years, 2 years and the visit which obtained the BCVA
OCT parameters : presence of intraretinal fluidat each visit
Proportion of patients with macular edema resolutionat 1 yearA macular edema resolution will be defined as absence of intraretinal fluid for at least 6 months after the last
Retinopathy parameters : presence of intraretinal or subretinal macular hemorrhageBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearson stereoscopic 7-field color fundus photographs
Retinopathy parameters: presence of microaneurismsBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearson stereoscopic 7-field color fundus photographs
Retinopathy parameters : presence of macular exudatesBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearson stereoscopic 7-field color fundus photographs
Severity evolution (improvement, no change, worsening) of diabetic retinopathy graded by 2 evaluators on stereoscopic 7-field color fundus photographsBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsUsing the Stadification Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS), 5 levels: No apparent retinopathy, Mild Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR), Moderate NPDR,severe NDPR and Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR)
Quantitative OCT-angiography analysis : the size of non-perfusion zonesBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsThe mean (and standard deviation) the median (minimum-maximum) of the size of non-perfusion
Quantitative OCT-angiography analysis : the size of central avascular zonesBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsThe mean (and standard deviation) the median (minimum-maximum) of the size of central avascular zones compared with baseline
Qualitative OCT-angiography analysis : presence of macular ischemiaBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsthe number of macular ischemia
Qualitative OCT-angiography analysis : Evolution of macular ischemia compared to the baselineBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsTypes of evolution compared to baseline : appearance / disappearance / stability of the macular ischemia.
Qualitative OCT-angiography analysis : presence of preretineal neovesselsBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsthe number of preretineal neovessels,
Qualitative OCT-angiography analysis : evolution of preretineal neovessels compared to the baselineBaseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks,36 weeks,52 weeks, 1.5 year and 2 yearsTypes of evolution : appearance / disappearance / stability.
Biomicroscopy: the number and the percentage by categories of the condition of the implantall visits during 2 yearsconditions : clear, opacified , integrity, open, performed capsulotomy
Biomicroscopy: presence of the state of the posterior capsuleall visits during 2 yearsabsence or presence of the posterior capsule
Variation of the intraocular pressureall visits during 2 years
proportion of patients using hypotonic eye treatmentall visits during 2 years
Number of adverse eventsall visits during 2 yearsAll adverse events will be coded using the Meddra system organ class and cases of patients stopping or switching drugs will be described (causes, new drugs,..)
Level of discomfort felt by the patientall visits during 1 yearDiscomfort felt by the patient measured by a visual analog scale (EVA between 0 and 10 (0 = no discomfort))

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 11, 2026