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Status unknownNCT00841386Updated Feb 11, 2009

Treatment of Keratoconus Using Collagen Cross-Linking

A Phase 2/3 interventional study of Riboflavin-5-phosphate and Sham cross-linking in Keratoconus, sponsored by University at Buffalo. Status unknown at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 16 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2009-02-11.

Sponsored by University at Buffalo · Phase 2/3, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Jan 2009), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Phase 2/3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
150
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
16 Years to 35 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of collagen cross-linking in the cornea in halting the progression and possibly partially reversing the effects of keratoconus. Keratoconus is a progressive weakening in the cornea that causes irregular astigmatism and thinning of the cornea. The overall effect is reduction of vision, and in more advanced cases, scarring of the cornea that may lead to the need for corneal transplantation. Cross-linking has been shown increase the rigidity of the cornea. The patients would be treated once and then followed over 24 months. .

Read the detailed description

The goal is for two groups of approximately 66 patients to be included in the study. One eye from the first group will undergo treatment, while the second group of age matched individuals will serve as a control. It will be a prospective, randomized, blinded study. Each patient will be randomized at the beginning of enrollment in the study and will receive a randomization number. The following parameters will be followed: 1. Best corrected spectacle acuity (BCSA) 2. The steepest keratometry measurement (KMax) as measured by computerized corneal topography 3. Apical corneal thickness 4. Corneal mechanical resistance. These measurements will be repeated at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12, 18, and 24 months following treatment.

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Conditions studied

  • Keratoconus

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Keywords

  • Cornea
  • Keratoconus
  • Ectasia
  • Riboflavin
  • Collagen cross-linking
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In context

Keratoconus

307 studies on the registry are indexed under Keratoconus; 56 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 40 across 203 interventional studies indexed under Keratoconus.

Browse Keratoconus studies →

Lead sponsor

University at Buffalo is the lead sponsor of 73 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Of its 6 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 5 (83%) have results posted.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
16 Years to 35 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • no prior history of ocular surgery
  • treatment eye must have a maximum corneal power of between 47 D and 60 diopters
  • corneal thickness must be greater than 400 µ
  • absence of corneal scarring
  • patients must meet the diagnostic criteria for keratoconus, which include one or more of the following features:

    • high myopia
    • corneal ectasia as viewed by slit-lamp exam or measured by pachometry
    • Vogt's striae
    • topographic findings of superior flattening and inferior steepening of the cornea
    • presence of Fleischer ring

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of prior ocular surgery (history of contact lens use is not an exclusion criterion)
  • average corneal power > 60 D
  • presence of corneal scarring
  • corneal thickness 400 µ or less
  • history of herpes simplex virus keratitis
  • history of uveitis
  • pre-existing glaucoma
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Study design

Phase
Phase 2 / Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
150 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cross-linking treatment

    Topical anesthesia (lidocaine jelly 2%) will be used. The central 9 mm of corneal epithelium will be removed cautiously with an Amoils brush. Riboflavin 0.1% solution will be applied (10 mg riboflavin-5-phosphate in 10 ml dextran T-500 20% solution, supplied in a sterile, single dose container) to the cornea every 2-3 minutes for 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes thereafter. The UV source will be from the CBM VEGA X-linker (CSO, Florence, Italy). A wavelength of 370 nm will be used to direct 5.4 J/cm2 to the area of cornea debrided for 30 minutes. The distance from the UV source to the cornea will be 1.5 to 5.4 cm.

    Drug: Riboflavin-5-phosphate

  • Sham comparator
    Sham treatment group

    Topical anesthesia (lidocaine jelly 2%) will be used. Differing from the treatment group, no epithelium will be debrided, but instead, this step will be skipped and a 2% methylcellulose solution combined with 1% fluorescein dye will be applied to the cornea every 5 minutes for 30 minutes. The patient will be placed under the UV device, but instead of the UV light, the LED aiming beam will be applied for 30 minutes.

    Drug: Sham cross-linking

Interventions

  • DrugRiboflavin-5-phosphate

    Riboflavin 0.1% (10 mg riboflavin-5-phosphate in 10 ml dextran T-500 20% solution, supplied in a sterile, single dose container) will be applied to the cornea every 2-3 minutes for 15 minutes prior to starting UV irradiation. The UV irradiation will be given in six 5 minute intervals. Additional riboflavin will be administered following each 5 minute UV treatment.

    Also known as: Ricrolin (SOOFT Italia Inc.)

  • DrugSham cross-linking

    Topical anesthesia (lidocaine jelly 2%) will be used. Differing from the treatment group, no epithelium will be debrided, but instead, this step will be skipped and 2% methylcellulose solution with 1% sodium fluorescein will be applied to the cornea every 5 minutes for 15 minutes, and then every 5 minutes during the sham UV treatment. The patient will be placed under the UV device, and the aiming beam applied.

    Also known as: Goniosol

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Best corrected visual acuity

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. Spherical equivalent power of the cornea (Best spectacle refraction)

    Time frame: 24 months

  3. KMax: the maximum corneal curvature

    Time frame: 24 months

  4. Average corneal power of the cornea in the central 4 mm.

    Time frame: 24 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Corneal resistance factor.

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. Maximal posterior surface elevation of the cornea.

    Time frame: 24 months

  3. Apical corneal thickness.

    Time frame: 24 months

  4. Endothelial count.

    Time frame: 24 months

07

Study locations

2 of 2 sites recruiting
  • Fichte,Endl, & Elmer EyeCare
    Amherst, New York 14228, United States
    • Linda Grant, C.O.M.T. · Contact · linda.grant@fichte.com · 716-564-2020
    • Michael Endl, M.D. · Contact · mpderme@aol.com · 716-564-2020
    • Michael Endl, M.D. · Principal investigator
    • Thomas R Elmer, M.D. · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
  • The Ira G. Ross Eye Institute
    Buffalo, New York 14209, United States
    • James J Reidy, M.D. · Contact · jreidymd@mac.com · 716-881-7920
    • James J Reidy, M.D. · Principal investigator
    • Sandra L Everett, M.D. · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Natarajan R, Padmanabhan P, Guruswami S. Hydration behavior of porcine cornea crosslinked with riboflavin and ultraviolet A. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2007 Sep;33(9):1503. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2007.04.047. No abstract available. PubMed 17720054 ↗
  • Mazzotta C, Balestrazzi A, Traversi C, Baiocchi S, Caporossi T, Tommasi C, Caporossi A. Treatment of progressive keratoconus by riboflavin-UVA-induced cross-linking of corneal collagen: ultrastructural analysis by Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph II in vivo confocal microscopy in humans. Cornea. 2007 May;26(4):390-7. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0b013e318030df5a. PubMed 17457184 ↗
  • Spoerl E, Mrochen M, Sliney D, Trokel S, Seiler T. Safety of UVA-riboflavin cross-linking of the cornea. Cornea. 2007 May;26(4):385-9. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0b013e3180334f78. PubMed 17457183 ↗
  • Mazzotta C, Traversi C, Baiocchi S, Sergio P, Caporossi T, Caporossi A. Conservative treatment of keratoconus by riboflavin-uva-induced cross-linking of corneal collagen: qualitative investigation. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2006 Jul-Aug;16(4):530-5. doi: 10.1177/112067210601600405. PubMed 16952090 ↗
  • Wollensak G. Crosslinking treatment of progressive keratoconus: new hope. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2006 Aug;17(4):356-60. doi: 10.1097/01.icu.0000233954.86723.25. PubMed 16900027 ↗
  • Caporossi A, Baiocchi S, Mazzotta C, Traversi C, Caporossi T. Parasurgical therapy for keratoconus by riboflavin-ultraviolet type A rays induced cross-linking of corneal collagen: preliminary refractive results in an Italian study. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2006 May;32(5):837-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2006.01.091. PubMed 16765803 ↗
  • Kohlhaas M, Spoerl E, Schilde T, Unger G, Wittig C, Pillunat LE. Biomechanical evidence of the distribution of cross-links in corneas treated with riboflavin and ultraviolet A light. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2006 Feb;32(2):279-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2005.12.092. PubMed 16565005 ↗
  • Wollensak G, Spoerl E, Seiler T. Riboflavin/ultraviolet-a-induced collagen crosslinking for the treatment of keratoconus. Am J Ophthalmol. 2003 May;135(5):620-7. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(02)02220-1. PubMed 12719068 ↗
  • Mencucci R, Mazzotta C, Rossi F, Ponchietti C, Pini R, Baiocchi S, Caporossi A, Menchini U. Riboflavin and ultraviolet A collagen crosslinking: in vivo thermographic analysis of the corneal surface. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2007 Jun;33(6):1005-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2007.03.021. PubMed 17531694 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 11, 2009, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00841386
Lead sponsor
University at Buffalo
First posted
Feb 11, 2009
Start date
Sep 2008
Primary completion
Dec 2011 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2011 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 11, 2009

Study contacts

James J. Reidy, M.D.
Contact
jreidymd@mac.com
716-881-7920
Jeanne Stutz
Contact
jstutz@buffalo.edu
716-881-7920
James J Reidy, M.D.
principal investigator · SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Jan 2009. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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