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CompletedNCT00344253Updated Dec 3, 2012

Randomized, Controlled Trial to Test the Efficacy of Interferon Beta in the Treatment of Intermediate Uveitis

A Phase 3 interventional study of Interferon beta and Methotrexate in Uveitis, Intermediate, Macular Edema and Multiple Sclerosis, sponsored by Heidelberg University. Completed at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2012-12-03.

Sponsored by Heidelberg University · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
19
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate if interferon beta is superior to the standard treatment with Methotrexate for the treatment of intermediate uveitis and macular edema.

Read the detailed description

Deuter et al were the first to show the anti-edematous effect of interferon alpha on inflammatory macular edema (Deuter C. M. E., Kötter I., Günaydin I., Zierhut M. Treatment of the Cystoid Macular Oedema in Behçet's Disease with Interferon Alfa-2a, Retina, in press). In an interventional, multi-centric pilot-study we could demonstrate a positive effect of interferon beta on ED associated uveitis, especially in reducing the macular edema. Undesired effects of the treatment were not observed.

Thus we want to test the efficacy and safety of interferon beta compared to standard treatment with methotrexate in a prospective, clinically controlled trial on patients who suffer from intermediate uveitis with inflammatory macular edema who either have associated ED or have no systemic disease association, i.e. primary uveitis. .

02

Conditions studied

  • Uveitis, Intermediate
  • Macular Edema
  • Multiple Sclerosis

Keywords

  • Uveitis
  • Macular Edema
  • Interferon
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Encephalomyelitis disseminata (ED)
03

In context

Uveitis, Intermediate

56 studies on the registry are indexed under Uveitis, Intermediate; 2 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 19 is below the median of 36 across 42 interventional studies indexed under Uveitis, Intermediate.

Browse Uveitis, Intermediate studies →

Lead sponsor

Heidelberg University is the lead sponsor of 287 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male and female patients age 18 and over
  • Active uni- or bilateral non-infectious intermediate uveitis of at least 1 year duration
  • Visual acuity on the worse eye at least 0.1 (20/200) and maximally 0.6 (20/30) caused by macular edema, defined by foveal thickness ≥ 250 µm
  • Either primary uveitis or diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis
  • Previous treatment with oral in a dose of 0.5 mg per kg bodyweight of prednisone equivalent without sufficient success
  • Previous treatment with other drugs is facultative

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Exclusively anterior uveitis
  • Absence of macular edema
  • Optic nerve atrophy after neuritis nervi optici
  • Peri-or intraocular injection of in the previous 3 months
  • Allergies against any interferon
  • Depression diagnosed by a psychiatrist
  • Hepatic disease
  • Infectious Uveitis
  • Other auto-immune diseases but MS
  • Pregnancy, Lactation
  • Lack of reliable
  • Patients with metabolic, psychiatric or neoplastic diseases
  • Active diseases like asthma, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease who have to be treated with corticosteroids
  • primary or secondary immune deficiency
  • Tuberculosis or other infectious lung diseases
  • or C
  • Life vaccination during the trial duration
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
19 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    1

    Interferon beta 3x weekly

    Drug: Interferon beta

  • Active comparator
    2

    Methotrexate sc 20 mg weekly

    Drug: Methotrexate

Interventions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in visual acuity (3 lines ETDRS)at month 1,3,6 and 12

    Time frame: at month 1,3,6 and 12

Secondary outcomes

  1. Reduction of macular edema (OCT)

    Time frame: at month 1,3,6 and 12

  2. Reduction intraocular inflammation (2 step change, SUN classification)

    Time frame: at month 1,3,6 and 12

  3. Increase in retinal light sensitivity (fundus controlled perimetry)

    Time frame: at month 1,3 and 12

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, University of Heidelberg
    Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Becker MD, Heiligenhaus A, Hudde T, Storch-Hagenlocher B, Wildemann B, Barisani-Asenbauer T, Thimm C, Stubiger N, Trieschmann M, Fiehn C. Interferon as a treatment for uveitis associated with multiple sclerosis. Br J Ophthalmol. 2005 Oct;89(10):1254-7. doi: 10.1136/bjo.2004.061119. PubMed 16170111 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 3, 2012, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00344253
Collaborators
Serono GmbH
Responsible party
Friederike Mackensen (PD Dr. med., Heidelberg University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 26, 2006
Start date
Mar 2006
Primary completion
Mar 2011
Completion
Jan 2012
Last update
Dec 3, 2012

Study contacts

Matthias D Becker, MD, PhD,FEBO
principal investigator · Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, University of Heidelberg
Friederike Mackensen, MD, FEBO
principal investigator · Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center,University of Heidelberg
Regina Max, MD
study director · Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center,University of Heidelberg

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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